Today, I Choose to be Thankful

As we go about today celebrating Thanksgiving, lets not forget that it doesn’t just mean a day of family & friends, eating too much turkey, watching football & having a few bevvies; it also means ‘the expression of gratitude.’

I’m all about the turkey, laughs, bevvies & the turkey coma that comes; but this year especially; I am taking the time to express my gratitude. This year has thrown my entire family for a loop; a tragic loop. But, we are still here; we still need to be thankful for each other, memories and the holidays we still get to share.  To be honest; there is a part of me (everyday) that just wants to fast forward to the next day. I have to force myself out of bed most days, but once I’m up and going; I’m thankful that I’m a fighter and I’m not going to give up. I’ve got a life to live. I’m thankful for that.

With a significant unexpected loss this year, I’ve learned a lot about people – who are there for you, who say they are there for you, ones that you haven’t seen in years but are still those great friends that they were and they step up to the plate. Because I could write a page a day for the next year on these special people; I’m going to share a bullet list of people & things that I reflect through the year & the new people in my life that I’ve been grateful enough to meet on the road of grief I’ve faced and in every day.

I am by no means a sap, so bear with my humor on why I am grateful for some people. We only live once; we need to have fun!

• I am thankful for my friends from “The Hood” (my neighborhood growing up). Although we’ve grown up, moved on in life and had our families; your presence, visible grief in the wake of tragedy shows me that friendships cannot be broken some 40 plus years later.
• I am thankful for my dad’s good friend and colleague. He stepped in when dad stepped out. 25 years later he still treats me like I’m his own & would do anything for me.
• I am thankful for my “Ethel”. She has been “that” friend. She’s mischievous like me; when we worked together if we were seen together we were separated because trouble was stirring (in all good fun!). She is the first person that I learned to have an entire emoji conversation with. We don’t see a lot of each other; but she dropped everything to be there for me and help when I needed her this year when I lost Ang.
• I am thankful for my current job. No, this isn’t a suck-up moment; because I’m transparent and they’d know if it were different (they know I’m passionate, therefore, they know when I don’t agree!). This company gave me a chance to step into a position with ZERO experience in that related field. If this tells you my success; I’m still there 3 years later. And as I have loved every job I’ve worked, I can honestly say I love what I do, and the industry I am in wholeheartedly. I’ve found my niche and I’m thankful for that.
• I am thankful for the friendship with this certain chic; she is the calm to my assertiveness. We work well together. That’s not the only reason I’m thankful. She is also that friend that will sit and have a snap chat conversation with the filtered crazy, high-pitched voices for an entire evening with me. Who wouldn’t love a friend like that?
• I am thankful for all of the people that stepped forward when we lost Ang, whether they helped with the funeral luncheon, sorting through pics, running errands, sharing memories, or contributing to alleviate the burden of some of the funeral cost.
• I am thankful for my old co-worker. She selflessly took time out of her days during Angie’s last days and sat with her for hours on end while she was at Henry Ford. She’d never met my sister, but she’d been through the same, so she got me. I didn’t want my sissy to be alone, and she will never know how thankful I am. I still haven’t had the strength to be able to pick up the phone and call her without breaking down. (I also couldn’t get through typing this without breaking down)
• I am thankful for reconnecting with a friend that I was extremely close with in high school. Again, the story of growing up, etc. Tragedy reconnects friendships, I tell ya.  I am beyond blessed to have this friendship back. At this point I don’t know what I’d do without it!
• I’m thankful for my FUB (favorite uncle) – boy do I love that guy. He’s my dads little brother. We’ve never lived close. But since dad died, he will drop anything, at anytime to be there for me. He’s always made sure to be here for me. I’m lucky to have him as family.
• I’m thankful for my current bosses, and a couple of my old bosses.  I’m a firm believer that a boss makes or break a job.  I have (some days I don’t know who (wink wink)) two guys that I consider my bosses. The one that gave me the chance, not only a great boss, but an awesome person and a great support system in my job and a wonderful teacher. I enjoy being around him while working and I love sharing my accomplishments with him! The second one began managing me in January; he’s pretty tough; but I’ve chalked it up to him caring (and we are a lot alike –assertive & passionate)…..the day my eyes opened to that he does care is the day I returned from vacation and my sister was on life support….he called me to check on me and let me know he’s there for me.  I’ve never told him, but that meant a lot and those are definitely things that mean the most to employees.  My bosses from TGW — they both treated me as if they were my dad; one was “protective” and the other was a goof and just so darn caring. Again, they made that job what it was……I’m thankful to still stay in touch. I had an “indirect” boss at my first big girl job. I worked for the executive team; he worked for the “parent” company but was now working for our company as well. I was intimidated, I was young, impressionable; I probably made more mistakes trying not to.  Come to find out; he was human. Who would’ve thunk it?  I was young & naive and anyone with a title scared me.  I observed how he worked and interacted with others; I took a lot away with me when I left that job.  I have not worked for that company for 17.5 years, but if I want a brain to pick, a reference, or a chat I can still count on him.  Bosses are human — I’ve learned that and am so thankful for all of them.
• There is a lot more that I am thankful for; but I need to leave you with this; I am thankful for forgiveness……because I tend to run late and because I’m writing this blog I’m running late for Turkey Dinner!