After Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on what you are thankful for. We should be doing this all the time but hell this time is better than never, right?

This year, I am reflecting on the people in my life and what life lesson I am thankful for that I learned from them.

Justin – I learned to be loved. It is very easy to love others and be disappointed and hurt by them as well. I always was willing to give love openly and never withheld my love from anyone. But, I did protect myself from being loved. It was safer for me to give all I had but never let people in. I protected myself from the love of others. I learned it is great to give love but it is only complete when you open yourself up to be loved in return. Justin’s patience helped with this.

My Family:

Mom -I learned to love unconditionally. Justin opened me up to being loved but it was my mom who taught me to love. I learned that love requires you to be hurt by others but that is a small price in giving love. When you give love expecting nothing in return, you just are a better person. A free person. And when you love, for the sake of loving and not with rules, expectations, and the threat of taking it away someday, you make a difference. You make a difference in other people’s lives and you make a difference in your own.

Dad – I learned kindness. I really can not think of a time when my dad has said something unkind about someone else. He really thinks the best of people and if he doesn’t, he keeps it to himself. My dad is a tough man who can do about anything but he has a heart of gold which shows in the simple kind gestures he does each day. My dad is a true gentle man.

Donna – I learned courage. Being the oldest means you have to go first. First to get married, have kids, buy a house, etc. You have to lead the way and going first is not always easy. Donna made the hard choice of working with kids with cancer in her nursing career. She knew her passion and love but also knew the heartache she would have to endure but she had the courage to go after it. She was the first one in our family blood line to be diagnosed with cancer and faced the road ahead with courage. Courage doesn’t mean that you can not be scared, worried, want to give up and want to hide. Courage means in spite of it all, you move ahead during life’s journey maybe even with a little smile because you believe there truly is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Steve – I learned family is more than just blood. My brother in law has been in the family longer than I have. From the day I was born, he was part of this family. Even though he was not here from the beginning or he is not related by blood, he completes our family. Without him, something would be missing. Family is about the relationships you create with each other and love that keeps you together through the wonderful times and the tough times. Family is where the heart is. Family is your home.  He might be my brother in law by title but he is my brother in my heart.

Vicky – I learned to give. Vicky is always willing to lend a hand, help out or be there as support. It was Vicky who came in tears to check on at work after my first car accident. It was Vicky who showed up at the hospital in tears when I was rushed to the ER when I was bleeding out from my tonsil surgery. Vicky always gives but never expects to receive. What is funny is Vicky also wants for nothing as she gets almost all she wants in return. I learned that when you give, you receive. Not from the exact same person but in some other way. Maybe now, maybe later. It is all about karma. Giving just to give opens you up to receive.

Eric – I learned to forgive. My brother was the baby of the family for 12 years before I came along. Having such an age difference meant as a young child, I had to deal with a teenage Eric and a struggling young adult Eric. In these times, as a child, Eric hurt me a lot. Those childhood hurts followed me through me teen years and early adult years. Hurt caused in the past made me see my brother in a different light. It made me resentful for the hurt he caused me. It wasn’t until I learned to forgive those hurts from SO LONG AGO that I saw him for who he really is, my biggest fan. He adores me and is amazed at all I do. He is truly full of pride of my achievements and is only wanting for the next best thing I do. I missed out on seeing this early on because I was still hurting from when I was very young. Learning to forgive allowed me to enjoy our relationship more instead of missing out on what could have been.

Friends:

Becky – I learned to enjoy life. Becky gave me a present, the present. She pushed me into letting go of always living in the future and learning to do things now. To enjoy my life as it is and to keep on living it with plans as well. When I was sad still from the lost of my niece, it was Becky who did not let me wait until next year to see Grinchmas, we went anyway. We had a great time and I learned life moves on. I learned that to enjoy life, you have to create it in the here and now and not just hope for a better future of enjoyment.

Robert – I learned to be who I am. Robert is who he is. Take it or leave it type of guy. I was the guy who did whatever it took to make others happy. I wanted to impress people and Robert taught me they needed to impress me. Robert let me see how being who you are, flaws and all, people will still love you. The difference was I no longer had people around me who dragged me down or who I only simply tolerated in my life. Robert showed me that being who I was is enough. And if people did not like it, it is their loss.

Nick – I learned friendship. Nick and I do not live in the same city. We see each other, in person, maybe once a year. But we have been friends for MANY years. Why? Because of friendship. Nick let me see that being friends doesn’t mean you have to live in the same city. You can be friends with people through it all as long as you put work into it. Friends come and go because we let go. If you truly want someone in your life, you have to put effort into the relationship. Nick reminds me of this with his regular messages of “ignoring” which is my clue to pay attention.  Friendship requires an investment of time, interest, love, and support. Of course, funny videos help as well!

What are you thankful for?

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