I have so much to be thankful for. I’m one of those annoying people who post on Facebook, “I have the best life ever.” I know it’s annoying as hell, but I do it anyway, because I’m so dang thankful to have the best life ever. It bears to be noted I didn’t always feel like I had the best life ever. As a matter of fact, ten-years-ago me would be so annoyed with now me, she’d block me immediately and never again read on Facebook about how awesome I’m getting along in life. Ten-years-ago me was a totally different animal, but without ten-years-ago me, I wouldn’t be me, so I can’t knock her too much.
You can never go back, and you never should. Sure, there have been times in my life I wasn’t entirely certain I’d live through, but I wouldn’t change those times because it would change me, and after 45 years, I finally kind of like me. I could totally do without the extra 20 pounds, but I have the best hair ever and I’ve learned to layer and accessorize the 20 pounds into scarves and jackets, so yeah, I’m feeling all right about me.
Life is good, but I’m smart enough to know it’s the people surrounding me who make it good — it really doesn’t have that much to do with me. I’ve gathered friends and family of such a caliber that I just kind of need to show up to be enveloped by their awesomeness. They do the work by being some of the most interesting, loving,and odd people on this Earth and I cherish them all for making my job so easy, and I am so thankful for them.
I am also thankful to have had parents who cared enough to spank me. I don’t care what any child psychologist says, my parents spanked me and I benefited from it. They certainly didn’t beat me arbitrarily, I had to really do something stupid to get a spanking. And though I doubt very seriously they were telling the truth when they said, “This hurts me as much as it hurts you,” they taught me to behave and that doing stupid things has painful consequences. More people should teach their kids those things — there’d be a lot less caterwauling at the food courts.
This job makes life pretty awesome — I’m thankful for it as well. I’m still completely knocked out by how beautiful and diverse this country is. I know I’m lucky to be able to travel through it with my best friend and get paid to write about it. I’ve always considered myself patriotic, but until I got out here and actually saw what there was to love, I didn’t love it like I do now. We live in an incredible place.
Happy Thanksgiving to all the drivers and their families, especially those who aren’t going to be home for the holiday. Thank you for what you do — without you, none of us could enjoy these home-cooked meals. You are appreciated and will be included in our family’s prayers today.
