Gratitude

Thankful for Being Thankful

Jeanna G1 Comment

At a Thanksgiving dinner with friends, everyone was asked to share one thing they are thankful for. It was hard for me to pick just one thing. 

As a kid, when I was asked to say the blessing, my siblings would groan because they knew the food would get cold before I’d finish. I’d thank God for kitty cats and flowers, friends and sunshine, rainbows and toys, family and tv shows, music and games, and the list went on. 

Now don’t get me wrong. I, like many of you out there, haven’t always lived in a world full of laffy taffy and bouncy houses. I’ve spent a lot of time down in the dumps. And if you’ve been there, I feel you and I hope your situation changes soon. But the fact that my life has changed direction makes my gratitude authentic. I have so much more to be thankful for than to complain about. And so, it’s just easier to think more about the good. 

My childhood friend, Nicole, calls me an eternal optimist. And she’s right! I do tend to see the sunny side of things, and I point those out to others who need a little more light in their lives. Optimism isn’t just about seeing the glass half full; it’s a way of life for me, an instinctual commitment.  

As usual, my overthinking lead me to the most simplest of answers: I am thankful for being thankful. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you today, and every day! 

But Did You Live?

Jeanna G2 Comments

I catered an event last night that was out in the middle of Nowhere, NC. When I pulled in, the owner met me on his UTV, and told me to follow him through the hayfield to the backside of the venue, and that’s where I could park. Going in was no problem. After the event and a massive downpour, in the dark with no escort, I started to think twice about driving through a field. And in that moment, I thanked God for being so dumb in high school.

Where I grew up, we got pretty creative with our party spots in order to keep them out of the police spotlight. Woods, cornfields, creeks, sandpits, the quarry, mountain tops, the end of an airstrip… Been there, done that. We also had to be pretty adventurous to be willing to try to get there, mindful of all possible exits in case we had to flee in a pinch, and imaginative with our excuses of how that mud got all over the tires and that dent got in the fender. It actually takes a lot of brain power to be dumb.

Thinking back on all the risks I took, it’s a wonder I’m not dead. I get a kick out of that line from Hangover when Chow asks, “But did you die?” Sitting in that field last night, I was grateful for my near-death experiences. I’m a lot less dumb at my current age, but more importantly, I know I can say “yes” when asked, “But did you live?”

Silver and Gold

Jeanna G3 Comments

Make new friends, but keep the old. And the same goes for yourself: love yourself now, but don’t forget to give props to the O.G.

I had actually started a letter to my younger self about a year ago, but got distracted while adulting. In this season of gratitude, I was reminded that it’s important to follow through on those thank you notes. Henceforth, I will catch up on some overdue correspondence with myself, both the silver and gold versions.

I find inspiration in the quote from Lalah Delia, “She remembered who she was, and the game changed.”

Dear future self,

Be grateful for the childhood you had, for the foundation that your life was built upon. You will be hit with hard times, but you will already have everything in you that you will need to get through.

Dear Little Jeannie,

Thank you for being someone I want to return to. Thank you for your light and your strong sense of self, because that makes finding you easier, and I want to be like you again. Thanks for not giving up when times got tough.

Dear future self,

Promise me this: now that you’ve made all the mistakes, you won’t make them again.

Dear Little Jeannie,

No promises, but I’m sorry I got lost and thought I needed to be someone different. You were right.

Dear future self,

It wasn’t your fault.

Dear Little Jeannie,

It wasn’t your fault either.

Dear future self,

Life is short. Play more. Don’t forget how much you love to do things. Don’t forget, when you get confused, just listen to the music play. And don’t forget that God knows you, and still loves you. Oh and hey…don’t stop believin’.

Dear Little Jeannie,

Thank you for your optimism, your playfulness, your curiosity and imagination. Your idea that life is a game, and that you’re going to win, has helped the journey to be entertaining, challenging, and worth continuing.

Dear future self,

Continue to be an altruist, and remember to help those who need it most.

Dear Little Jeannie,

You’ve got so much love.

Dear future self,

Don’t forget to save some of that love for yourself.

Dear Little Jeannie,

You’re so smart.

Dear future self,

You’re right.