In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I would like to name a few things that I am immensely thankful for this year. Like a lot of people, 2023 has been a rough year for me. There have been some amazing things that have happened, but there have been just as many (if not more) awful things that have occurred. I'm not usually one for needing to express what I'm thankful for on Thanksgiving (especially if we remember how the colonialists actually treated the Native Americans) but this year I thought it would be a good idea to take some time and really reflect on the positives in my life.
This posting will be a little different from previous posts, so I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you remember to take a few minutes to reflect on what you are thankful for this year, too.
John
John is my rock. I wouldn't have survived this year growing stronger mentally, emotionally, and physically without him. He has always been incredibly supportive, and even in the roughest times, when it would be easier for him to walk away than to stay by my side and help me deal with whatever is afflicting me, he is there. John will always be there. Just like I will always be there for him. And yes, it is a little cheesy-feeling to write this, but even though we are a couple, I do feel even closer to him this year, after everything we have gone through, as we quickly approach our 2 year Anniversary. We've endured a lot of hardships, the worst being the passing of our beloved Tiger, but we've also had some incredible experiences together this year, from concerts to vacations to quiet movie nights in, and I am so incredibly grateful to have found him, and to be loved by him. I love you, John.
The Boys
Despite this being a blog about Franklin, he and Kap had to come second to John for all the reasons listed in his paragraph. With that said, my love for our fur babies grows everyday. They are the sweetest boys who only want to eat and be loved and eat and be played with and oh yeah did I mention eat? No matter what happens, through the good and the bad, there is nothing like the love of an animal. They will always be there for their person(s), and being able to give them the best life John and I possibly can will always be one of my greatest achievements.
My Parents
I am an only child who is incredibly close to her parents. This is very uncommon, almost unheard of, and every time I hear someone's horror story about their parents and their upbringing I realize just how incredibly blessed I am to have my parents. They are my parents first, but they are also my siblings, my best friends, my family. I honestly have the best mom and dad ever.
My Friends
To Candace, Kate, Brenda, Frosty, Madison, Kris, Aly, and Jorja: Thank you for always being there for me. In my happiest times and my darkest times, you are the friends who get me through everything. I know I've already typed it but I'll type it again: 2023 has been rough. And I would feel very lost and alone, as I sometimes am want to do anyways, without you all in my life. It's an incredible feeling to know that, even in my darkest hours, I only need to reach out to you to find the light.
Therapy
The beginning of 2023 was the worst of everything that happened. The first 3 months of the year were mostly filled with lows, and when I reflect back on those times I know there were some great moments, but it's hard to remember them when all the negatives are trying to push their way to the front of my thoughts. My original therapist, who I'd been seeing since 2019, got Covid and became very ill for months, leading to many canceled sessions. My mind was a downward, poison-filled spiral throughout April and May, and it took my remaining sanity to pull myself together and find someone new to talk to. I hate change. That's why I saw my original therapist for 4 years. But as my mom says, "Everything happens for a reason," and boy did it. My new therapist is incredible. She has helped me make so many breakthroughs, has helped lighten the stress and anxiety I was feeling everyday, and has truly helped me repair many of the cracks in my mental health. I may not be the same person I once was, with the same good mental health I once had, but I am getting better, and that's all thanks to her.
Taylor Swift
It wouldn't be a blog post about things I'm thankful for without a quick mention of Taylor Swift, lol. I listen to her music every day. I talk about her everyday. And yes, I think about her everyday. I am a story teller with a mind that races into fantasy every chance it gets, and Taylor is honestly the person who embodies that idea and mindset the most of anyone I know (or in her case, know of). Her music tells me stories. It inspires me to write my own. Someday I hope to meet her so I can thank her in person for everything she has done creatively that has inspired me creatively.
This Blog
What started out as a writing project to hopefully help me break into the world of freelance writing has turned into this fun, cathartic part of my everyday life. For the last time, 2023 has been rough, and with that roughness came a sort-of writer's block. Yes, I could still write stories, but the type of stories I was writing changed. The love I had for writing was gone. I lost my focus, and being able to sit down and write for long periods at a time grew challenging. Negative thoughts raced through my mind that I was just kidding myself, that I'm not a good writer and will never achieve the career goal of being a full-time author/writer. And this blog not only gave me my confidence back, but also the love and passion for the craft. I don't know if this blog will ever develop a large following, but right now that doesn't matter much to me. What matters is doing the thing I love most of all, writing, and enjoying it again. And enjoy it, I do.