20-7 and Thankful

Today is my 27th birthday.  Twenty-seven, that's awfully close to the big 3-0 isn't it?  But October 25th also happens to be Grenadian Thanksgiving.  And in light of the fact that I think I've been kind of a downer lately on my blog (and in my life) I think that I am going to choose 27 things to be thankful for today.  Because isn't life all about being thankful for what we have? 

Yes there are struggles and hard times, feelings of lonliness and sadness, but I think that in the past 27 years, I have mostly been the type of person to see the glass as half full and lately, I've chosen to see it half empty.  And honestly, I'm tired of it.

So today I'm choosing to be thankful.  I'm choosing to love myself and my life.  Because every single day you have to wake up and make the choice to love.  To love God, to love your spouse, your friends, your family, your enemies, the lady behind the checkout counter, the random person on the street, the other drivers on the road.  My childhood friend Grant Desme' said, love is not just an emotion, it is a choice.  And I think that's so very true.

So here I go.

1. My husband.  I'm so thankful for my husband Joshua.  He is my bestest friend in the whole world and as much as I have missed Grenada and the Limes kids in the past few months, there's no where in the world that I would rather be than with him.  He works harder than most anyone I know and he doesn't ask for much in return.

2. My parents.  I have to have just about the most supportive Mom and Dad a girl could ask for.  They are always there for a lengthy phone call or a dollar or two :) and they never cease to tell me how proud they are of me.

3. My siblings.  Bert, Rachel, and Anna, you guys are not just my sisters and brother, but my friends.  How lucky am I to have siblings that I actually get along with really really well!?! We have so many good memories as kids, but we have just as many as adults and I think that's pretty awesome.

4.  My in-laws, grandparents-in-law, sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, and nephews.  I couldn't have married into a better or more excepting family.  I have loved them from the beginning and they have loved me back in return.  They are always there to lend a helping hand and are just as supportive of my goals and aspirations as they are of Josh's.

5. My best friend Liz. We just get each other.  There's just not much more that needs to be said.

6. Julie.  My friend that I had to go all the way to England to meet, but I would do again in a heartbeat.  She's my go to girl when it comes to life as a medical student spouse.  I don't have to explain things to her, she just understands it.

7. My faith.  Sometimes I don't know how people get through life without a relationship with Jesus Christ.  I'm so thankful that I have one.

8.  My experience with the children in Grenada.  As much as I miss Grenada, I am so thankful for my experiences.  It opened my eyes to things I couldn't have imagined and changed my heart.  I can't look at the world the same way that I used to and I only wish everyone could experience the happiness that comes with doing something for others who aren't as priviliged as you.

9. My doggie Doyle.  He may stress me out sometimes with his separation anxiety and his internal issues, but he is my companion on most days and he brings me a lot of joy.

10. My health.  I am so lucky that I am healthy.  I know this is something that many people take for granted until they don't have it anymore, but after having good friends struggle with health issues and having a husband who sees severly unhealthy people daily, I definitely don't.

11. My bank account.  I know this seems funny.  Josh and I may not have much money, but we have ENOUGH and for that I am thankful because there are a lot of people in this world who don't.

12. My apartment.  I really do love it.  Which is good, because I'm in it a lot!

13. My travel experiences.  I've been to England, Spain, Scotland, Sweden, Ireland, France, Grenada, Cozumel, and many places around the United States.  There aren't many 27 year olds that can say they've gotten to do so much traveling in their lifetime. 

14. The Significant Others Organization of SGU.  Another funny one, but I would never have gotten through our two years abroad without it.  I feel lucky that Josh ended up at a school that had a support group for spouses like me when I know there are many schools that don't.

15. My job.  I know I work from home and maybe it's not ideal, but I'm thankful that I have a job.  There are many people here in the US and in the world, who don't.

16. My blog!  I started this blog almost two years ago not knowing if I would really keep up with it, if people would even read it, or what the future would hold for it.  But, I have to say it has become a part of my life.  I've posted over 200 times and I have readers all over the world.  It has been an outlet for my creativity and my internal thoughts and it has been used by many SO's as a source of information for medical school.

17. Diet Coke.  Enough said.

18. Mail.  I REALLY enjoy checking the mail.  It's one of my favorite things to do daily and I look forward to 4pm when I know the mailman has come.  I just like seeing what's in it. It's a little surprise everyday!  I even enjoy getting bills because I get to open them, mail a check, and feel accomplished when they are paid.  Is that weird or normal?

19. Books.  I'm very thankful for books.  And bookstores.  And Kindles.  And Amazon.  Whoever invented the written word...seriously, genius.  I could read a book a week.  I love getting lost in a novel.  What would my life be like with books?  It's too sad to even consider.

20. Sunshine.  God planned for me to grow up in Southern California.  I am convinced he knew I crave/need sunshine daily. He only sent me to England so I could reinforce my love for the sun.

21. Wine.  Sometimes you just need a glass.  Or three.

22. Iphones. Okay, sure, they are expensive and people are glued to them waaaaaay to much.  But google maps and Siri sure make life easier.

23. My dishwasher.  In Grenada, the dishwasher's name was Stephanie.  In Redlands, it's Nautilus.  And Stephanie is much happier because of it.

24. SGU.  They have their flaws, but they gave Josh an opportunity to become a doctor when some medical schools wouldn't.  He is able to chase his dream because of that chance.

25. Coffee. God's gift to us "not morning people."

26. Hot Showers.  Is there anything better?

And Lastly,

27. Random Acts of Kindness.  A few weeks ago, a friend gifted me with the chance to go back to Grenada.  It's these kinds of things that restore my faith in this world.  When people do something so surprising not because they benefit from it, but to help make your day better.  We should all make an effort to do this for others, even strangers.  Because of her generosity, I get to go back to Grenada in November. And I couldn't be more thankful.