Blessed

This whole being thankful thing is a bit late, considering Thanksgiving was almost 2 months ago. But I realized it doesn't have to be Thanksgiving to open your heart and be thankful for something.

I've kinda been going over my life the past few days. I have hit rock bottom (or what it seemed to me) a handful of times, but none of those times even compared to what some other people have had to go through. I'm so blessed to have gone through those fights, heartbreaks, disease, and hard times. Because in reality, as soon as they pass, they seem so trivial.

I've had a pretty great life thus far and I can't be thankful enough. I've been blessed with an amazing, supportive family. I had to watch my mother go through breast cancer, but with time, she came out stronger than ever before. This is only one of the many reasons she remains my hero to this day. I know people always say "I have the best friends ever!" but no, I really, really do. I've been blessed incredibly with solid, different groups of friends, that have all left footprints in my life and changed me in more ways than one.

My career is one thing I can be extremely thankful and proud of. My whole education has been an accomplishment and I still have to pinch myself sometimes to remind myself I go to U of I. I feel so lucky to go there. And I can't believe I almost went to Nebraska - how much would my life be different right now? Dang. And all the jobs I've had...from being a pool attendant to a waitress to a swim instructor to an account executive for Campus Special this summer. It seems everything I've worked so hard for all came together.

I hate to boast, but I'm finally at a point where I really love everything and everyone in my life. There's hasn't been a significant amount of times since I've been alive where I've really sat back, acknowledged my situation, and smiled. Life keeps winding around and around and it's hard to really realize the great things in life.

This past semester was a hard one for me and I will admit, I was in a dark place for awhile. But that time has passed and I couldn't be happier. Whenever you're having a bad day, just think that things really could be worse. It's not the end of the world. It might be a really, really bad day. But lift yourself up, take a deep breath, and smile to yourself in the mirror. Tell yourself things will get better. Because they will. They always do.