According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, gratitude comes the Latin word gratus, which means pleasing or thankful. What does that mean for us? It means that in order to express that we are grateful for what life has handed us, we must acknowledge the cards we are dealt, be thankful for what they are, both good and bad, and appreciate the memories and the moments within them. Many times, people refuse to acknowledge the light at the end of the tunnel and focus entirely on the darkness that is in front of them. That is no way to live, and I promise you that if you look forward it will get better.

For those that know me, they would tell you that I try to go every day with a smile. They would tell you that laughter is what gets me through each day. Well, although that is true, they do not see me behind closed doors. When I am by myself, I am left with my thoughts. I am left with the concerns of my future. I am left with the fears of failure and I am left with the idea of “Will they accept me for who I am?” That is what no one knows. However, I feel as if we all face that at some point in our lives.

Now why is any of this important? You see, life is short. God only blesses you with the time on Earth that he feels you deserve. At any point in time he could say, “You know what? Heaven really needs you right now. Come with me because there is work to be done.” That is totally okay. Does it scare me? Heck yes it does. Why? Becuase I don’t want to leave the gifts God has blessed me with. For a long time in college, I was blessed to have a hundred or more sisters behind me every step of the way. The laughter was strong and the memories were endless. However, the moment I left I was all alone with nothing but a memory.

With this memory, I realized that it is not saying good-bye, but it is just a blessing in disguise. I was able to go to college to better myself and my dreams. That is a gift. I was able to be surrounded with more than five friends for the first time in my life. That is a gift. I was able to be in a sorority, student government, be a treasurer of an honors society and a president of a club on campus. That in itself is a gift. I didn’t realize this until now, but God blesses you in ways to prepare you for your future.

I am thankful for all of the mistakes I have made until this point in my life. I am also grateful to have had experienced them. If we are not blessed with the good and bad times, then what is the point of living? Going off of that, what is the point of existing if we are not meant to feel.

I am writing this article to one, hope I get more than five shares, lol at my life, and to also let you, the reader, know that life is worth falling for. I not only mean to fall in love with, but to literally fall for. The only way you are going to grow in life is when you fall down. How are you going to know your strength? It is all in a matter of how you get up.

With this said, I challenge all of you to be grateful for the little moments, the mistakes, and the successes you experience every day. Every day I challenge you to write down ten things you are grateful for every day. Keep this up for a week, then a month and possibly a year. The more you do it, the more that smile will grow and your heart will beat that extra beat because you will become so in love with your life. God has the ability to bless you in ways that you cannot see. However, by making this list, you will begin to see just how truly blessed you are. Have a bad day? Look at your list and remember, “you are loved because your heart is beating.”

1. I am grateful to have an ever-loving Lord and Savior that loves me enough to bless me every day.

2. I am grateful for my sisters by blood, Greek affiliation, and from adoption (aka my host sisters)

3. I am grateful for my crazy and obnoxiously hilarious family.

4. I am grateful for my five littles and my five grandlittles.

5. I am grateful for my family in Wisconsin and Illinois.

6. I am grateful that I was able to live to see the Chicago Cubs win the World Series.

7. I am grateful that I can make a tweeting bird sound so I can confuse people.

8. I am grateful for my green tea that I am drinking because it is warm.

9. I am grateful for finally having a brother who is my soon-to-be-brother-in-law.

10. I am grateful for being blessed with two weird dogs who bark at nothing.