The Thankful Post

So, Thanksgiving is tomorrow... Woo! Instead of doing my I Am Thankful post tomorrow, I'm going to do it today. I think I'm allowed to give thanks today.... In fact, I probably should give thanks every day. Don'tcha think?

So, here are a few things for which I am thankful. I am, of course, thankful for the essential things in my life--parents, siblings, extended family, religion, friends, safety, education and all of the other blessings in my life. (Sorry if the word "blessings" is too cheesy, but that's what they are.) I consider myself very, very fortunate to have so many good things. Now, here are a few things off of my "random" list for which I must give thanks.

1. Black Pilot G7 pens. These pens make my handwriting look amazing, plus they don't bleed through any type of paper. And the way they write is so smoooooooth! (I get a little giddy about good pens.)
   
2. Socks. Feet are ugly and cold without socks. That is all. I am especially for my roommates' creative and spunky socks. I have been buying the same white socks since the beginning of high school, so I'm grateful for my friends' more expressive and exciting socks. ;)
   
3. Regina Spektor's music. Her songs are both beautiful and intelligent. In those ways, they remind me of some of my best friends.
4. Going to school close to home. When I was picking a university, I thought I wanted to go far, far away and go to museums and see old buildings and wear turtleneck sweaters in the East. I still want to do that someday (and yes, I will wear turtlenecks), but for now, being in Provo is perfect for me. I am able to come home for holidays, birthdays, family events, and random trips to see the fam. I'm very lucky to be able to do that.
5. Alone time. I've come to be very grateful for alone time since starting college. I love college and I love being around people, but sometimes it's refreshing to spend some time alone with your thoughts.
6. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Thank you, Amber. I am still reeling from the deliciousnessocity of those cookies.

There are countless (literally, countless... I'm not good at math) other things for which I give thanks, but I won't post them all here. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Challenge: please sit down and think about the things for which you are thankful, from the big to the small. Whenever I do this, life gets a whole lot easier.

Gratitude is an uplifting, exalting attitude. You can probably say from experience that you are happier when you have gratitude in your heart. You cannot be bitter, resentful, or mean-spirited when you are grateful.

True to the Faith, Gratitude (see lds.org)