Oh, boy.

They call it 'dumped' for a reason. It's like getting dropped off on the side of the road in the middle of the night with no cellphone. It's like being the first load that Waste Management throws in the back of the truck and just laying there watching more crap get thrown on top of you. Better yet, it's like you know, getting that BS told to you that you see in movies and instead of being sad you're just like, seriously Elle Woods, it really does happen to the best of us. So yeah, getting dumped doesn't make a whole lot of sense and it straight up sucks for awhile.

But now it's Thanksgiving and I think it's all about to make a lot more sense.

So what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? One-hundred percent family; they get you through everything, are there for you through it all, and give you the biggest love you know. Friends give you a sense of home, belonging, fun, and closeness. How could we be anything without them? What else...pets, health, education, opportunities, food, and so much more.

But I bet you never thought you should be thankful for getting dumped.

Well, you should.

Being sad and fragile and defeated has done nothing for me. It's emptied my pantry, added a lot of depressing songs to a Spotify playlist, and run me through a lot of mascara. It's made me do things for the wrong reasons and has clouded my vision of what I want in my life. It has been far from easy and has changed me, but I know that I am so thankful for it now.

Today I made a list of the things I have to do before I can go home for Thanksgiving and I'm so excited. I can't wait to see my whole, crazy family and be around more people than can fit in my house. I absolutely cannot wait. And that's because I'll be around the people that I know for absolutely certain have my back. They lift me up, they care about my successes, and would never hurt me. They know me, they've watched me grow up, and are on my team. And that is absolutely the best thing to be thankful for.

So the reason I'm thankful for being dumped is that I now know that there's no one in my life that isn't on my team. There's no one in my life that doesn't care about how their actions affect me. I am surrounded by intentional people and that is no reason to lag around sadness and confusion and hope for something that doesn't help me. I'm thankful that I can now see that the only people I need in my life are the ones that are thankful for me too.

So if you've been dumped, look around the table on Thanksgiving and know that if they were still supposed to be in your life, they would be. It's not on you, that's the way things are supposed to go. Be thankful for that.