Thank you

So, it's Thanksgiving tomorrow, and even though I'm not going home this year to have my mother go around the table and make everyone say what we're thankful for, I'm thinking about it anyway.

This has been a year of major changes for me, and I'm actually thankful for a lot. I'm thankful that most of that bad stuff is behind me, and I'm thankful that I'm stronger now because of it. I'm thankful that I know how resilient I am. I'm thankful for all of the fun, crazy, random adventures I've had this year. I'm thankful for all of my friends who got married this year, who allowed me to be part of their special day, and gave me a reason to travel so much! I'm thankful my travel bug came back, for my friends and family I've traveled with, that the world has opened up for me again.

But above all, I am really really really so thankful for my friends and family, and everyone who supported, stood by me, and had adventures with me in many different ways this year. Thank you for everything: for letting me stay with you, lending me things I needed, listening to me, talking to me, helping me move (twice!), choosing me to move in, visiting me in NY, letting me call you at all hours, calling me from across the country to check in, giving me advice, taking me out to dinner, helping me pack and unpack, making me laugh, being with me when I cried, telling me how proud you are of me, telling me how strong I was, picking up the slack for me at work, letting me go a little crazy, letting me be self-absorbed, listening to my stories, having random adventures with me.

I hope you all know who you are, and I hope you all know how much you mean to me, how much I value our friendship. I am truly blessed to have the friends and family that I have. Thank you.
(I'm also thankful that my mother won't be asking me to sing "This Land is Your Land" this year in front of my whole extended family and guests. I love my mom, of course, but I'm afraid I'll probably be doing the same things she does when I have a family someday. Somebody stop me!)

So, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I'm staying in NY for the first time for Thanksgiving, am watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade from the new Time Warner Center at a special private viewing party for employees and guests (I won tickets in a work raffle). Then on to a friend's loft for a nice Turkey Day dinner for six. I made cranberry salsa last night, the rest of the food will be made tomorrow. I'm baking an apple pie, too--still debating whether to bother to make the crust from scratch.

Oh, I love food. I'm thankful for good food and good company. I'm prepared to be full for a week. Hope you are all happy and well. Now everyone, let's go around the table and share something that you're thankful for...

November 23, 2005