If we walk into a blind future only holding the present, then the past can be considered a miracle. This idea suggests that upcoming moments are not promised. This offers a strong push to recognize the present as a gift, and every second that passes and becomes the past, also becomes a moment that might not have happened.

Just last Wednesday, my age increased from 18 to 19 years old. If you asked me if I felt any different when the clock moved from 11:59 PM to 12:00 AM, I would say yes, because I was falling asleep. Although that was a joke, I truly felt different early in the morning when my mother called me to say, "Happy 19th Birthday to you!" After a soft laugh, she said, "So you have 19 things to be grateful for today."

That is my mother--she always ends up being right on target even when I have trouble seeing the target. In this case, the target was: Being reflective can help to reveal those things both big and small that we should be grateful for.

Here are 19 things that I am thankful for as a recently turned 19 year old.

1. School

I am grateful for the opportunity to learn in an institution that will give me the credibility to do what I feel called to do.

2. Breath

I am grateful for being able to interact with an invisible element that keeps me alive. Also, thinking about where this invisible element may come from gives me life.

3. Tragedy

I am thankful for books filled with suspense as well as for the negative, drowning, and suffocating moments that live provides. When the tragedy is over and joy prevails the feelings of relief turn into feelings of gratitude.

4. Church Family

I am grateful to my church family for seeing something in me that I could not see in myself. Although this blurb can not fully describe my gratitude towards my church family, I would like them to know that how I live my life today is a reflection of many of the lessons and a reflection of the love that was shown to me. What I learned and continue to learn in and from church influences the decisions that I make and the thoughts that I have. So thank you for teaching me how to serve, question, understand, and love, in so many different ways.

5. Food

I am thankful for the access that I have to eat things that nourish my taste buds and soon after words my stomach.

6. Health

I am thankful to still be in control of my health rather than my health controlling me.

7. Thoughts

I am thankful for my mind and for the ability to ponder, wonder, question, anticipate, calculate, and to do all of the other wonderful things that the mind can do.

8. Books

I am thankful for amazing books that captivate me and hold my hand while walking me through worlds of images and words of information that have been enveloped by the perspective of the writer.

9. Eyesight

I am thankful for the ability to see the external world and to make judgments about my surroundings.

10. A Good Nose

I am thankful for my nose which allows me to taste my food, benefit from aroma-therapy, and determine who cut the cheese.

11. Intuition

I am grateful for my intuition--a built in, divine gift, that acts as my personal and private psychologist, detective, and mentor, who work together and are very accurate in what they suggest to me from their observations.

12. Hugs

Hugs are incredible. Just to recognize some reasons why: their healing powers are unmatched by the best medications, their positive-energy transmitting abilities outplay any remote control transmitting a signal to a television, and their warmth is similar to a joey inside his or her kangaroo parent's pouch. I am thankful for hugs.

13. Legs

I am thankful for my legs which have served as my automobile, motor, jumping sticks, and balance-maintainers for my entire life.

14. Mother

Writing why I am thankful for my mother would take a very long time, but one of the main reasons why is because other than giving birth to me, she always keeps the world at bay and away from my emotions. She always sees right through to the point and reminds me of my blessings when I get caught up the webs of stress, heavy thoughts, or any other personal struggles. Thanks mom.

15. Pastor

To the one who is "the Rev." There are many specific things that I can thank you for but to describe the root of all the things that I am thankful to you for, I would like to thank you for informing me about God through your sermons, confirmation classes, youth groups, conversations, and through your confidence in yourself and your ministry as well as how you view the world and treat others. You have touched so many lives and I am grateful to be one of those lives. Peace to you.

16. The Hudler's

To the family that took me in and still considers me family even through my imperfections I will forever, be grateful. Thank you for sharing your lives, stories, advice, and hearts with me. If a spider could represent you all, from my perspective, that spider has strung a web through my heart and attached a spiderweb deadbolt to it.

17. Friends

I did not ask for permission from my friends/peeps to publish their names, but they know who they are and I hope they know how thankful I am for them. Every conversation, moment, and opportunity to be in your presences, fills me up more than you may ever see and know. I have a supply of love for you whenever you need it. Thank you friends.

18. Family

I am eager to get to know about my Caribbean ancestry and am thankful for those who my kindred for reaching out and supporting me in direct and indirect ways. I am thankful for time and it's power in unifying that which may be separate.

19. God

From how I define God in my life so far, I thank God for being so undefinable and mysterious because while on this journey of trying to understand her, there is a spiritually and physically nutritious platter of lessons and experiences that indirectly reveal the magnificence of his existence. Traveling through these experiences and learning the lessons may be draining on a mental and emotional level, but God never seems to disappear even though it is easy to feel abandoned.

What are you thankful for?

Add your diverse and unique fruit seed(s) to the comment section below so that we can grow a tree together and eat what grows in community. Peace.