Around the holidays, I always feel that everyone is expressing their gratitude, and always making public the things and people they are thankful for.
This article is no different.
With that being said, I want to thank the following people in my life:
To the kind stranger that held the door open for me, thank you for standing there in the freezing cold as I awkwardly ran with a backpack on to try and catch up to you so you weren’t holding the door for eternity.
To the barista that made me my latte this morning, thank you for ensuring that my order was correct so I wouldn’t have an awful stomachache from consuming dairy, and for always greeting me with a smile and a kind attitude, despite the amount of crap you probably receive from customers daily.
To the worst professor I’ve ever had in my college career, thank you for showing me what kind of teacher I shouldn’t be for my future students. Also, thank you for proving to me that I can, in fact, pass a class that I absolutely hated, and that you made nearly impossible to pass.
To the best professor I’ve ever had (and still have), thank you for being the person you are. Thank you for opening your heart up to your students and friends, and for being a genuine, real person. Thank you for showing me what kind of teacher I want to be in the future. Thank you for being someone I can trust, and for being not only a mentor, but a friend to me. (Also, thank you for the free food you bring on occasion.)
To my high school drama teacher, thank you for pushing me. Thank you for believing in me and giving me opportunities to grow. Thank you for helping me find my passion in life, and for ultimately helping me decide what career path to choose. Thank you for showing me that I am not defined by my past, but by what I decide to do with the cards I am dealt. Thank you for giving me a safe place to go to during high school, and for making that time in my life more bearable.
To my first love, thank you for simply being in my life at that point in time. Our relationship was not perfect, but it taught me a lot about myself, and what I need in my life. Thank you for treating me kindly and for being my first real boyfriend. I hope you’re doing well.
To the man who cheated on me, (first off: yes I know you cheated on me the entire time, don’t even try to deny it) thank you for showing me how much better off I am without you, and for making me realize that sometimes I fall too quickly and need to step back and look at the grand scheme of things.
To my roommates, thank you for choosing to live with me. Thank you for putting up with all of the weird healthy food I make, my crazy emotions, the times I cry about stupid stuff, my random cleaning binges, and my working out in the living room (and believe me, I know it’s not a pretty sight). Thank you for making me laugh and for accepting me. I love you all.
To my best friends (you know who you are), thank you for choosing me to be in your life. Thank you for all of the late nights bitching about life, the coffee dates, and all of the midnight ice cream adventures. Thank you for all of the laughs and for all of the hugs. Thank you for letting me express my true self. Thank you for letting me open up. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for pushing me to be better and inspiring me to be a better person. Thank you for putting up with all of my nonsense. Thank you for existing.
To all members of my family, wow, there aren’t enough thank yous to go around. Thank you for giving me life. Thank you for giving me a safe home, and a beautiful childhood. Thank you for always attending the elementary school field trips, and helping out at elementary classroom parties. Thank you for attending all of my piano recitals, choir concerts, and theatre performances. Thank you for pushing me to do my best in school. Thank you for dealing with my inability to cope with stress and change. Thank you for (still) loving me, no matter how much crap I put all of you through.
Give thanks for the people in your life, no matter how big or small they might be in your life. They always seem to impact you in some way, shape or form.
