Bex and Blessings

Counting your blessings on a daily basis is sometimes difficult for a pessimist like me. 2009 has been tumultuous, to say the least, and riding out the waves of this year have left me feeling like I’m drowning at times. Nevertheless, it’s Thanksgiving and when all is said and done, I have a pretty amazing life. At the risk of seeming extraordinarily cheesy, here is a list of things I am truly thankful for:

…Thanks, mom, for your unconditional love and support. I feel so fortunate that you are the first person I want to call with exciting news and the only person I want to talk to when life goes terribly wrong. I love calling you on Sunday mornings to recap my weekend while I’m still in bed, love that you play equal parts mother and best friend, and love that you love me so ferociously that it seems like you absorbs my feelings, both good and bad.

…Thanks, CJ, for your amazing sense of humor and for showing me that the word “disability” only applies to people that let it. Thank you for being Elton John to my Kiki Dee during our duets to “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” Being your sister is my biggest blessing.

…Thanks to my amazing girl friends for choosing to love me even when I’m at my most stubborn and irrational. Thank you for hours-long talks dissecting and analyzing relationships, tragedies, life decisions and everything in between. Thanks for laughing over bottles of wine and gifting me toy punching bags that swear when I hit them. Thanks for traveling the world with me, introducing me to road races, chanting Britney & Gaga songs with me at the top of our lungs, and for generally being my extended family.

…To my guy friends, thank you for proving to me that, even though there are huge assholes in the world (and that it seems that I have dated most of them), there are still men who know the real meaning of integrity and loyalty. Thanks for offering a different perspective and a pinch of tough love when I need it the most.

…Thank you, Boston, for being my home. I feel lucky every single day to live in my favorite city in the world, and I truly never get tired of the view from the MGH stop on the Red Line or walking through the Common on weekday mornings. Thank you for Fenway Park, running paths along the Charles, and every last sketchy Irish pub in the city.

…Thanks, kickball, for reminding me to not take myself too seriously and for making me remember that I love being part of a team.

…Thanks, legs, for carrying me through mile after mile and letting me run off pain, heartbreak, and frustration.

…Thank you to my family in California: to my older cousins for sneaking me sips of beer and defining my idea of “cool” when I was growing up, to my younger cousins for being two of my best friends even though we live a country apart, and to my aunt and uncle for being such great role models. I am thankful that our family is cancer-free and I am praying and remaining positive for a quick recovery for my Uncle Bruce.

…Thanks, Ipod, for being the miracle that carries my sanity (aka, favorite music) during my commute, at the gym, and everywhere else.

...Thank you, Old Saybrook, for being the place I most belong, for having sandbars and scallop shells, and for providing a place for my family to come together and bond. Thank you, Grandpa, for having the foresight to know that we would need a place like this.

...And lastly, thank you to whoever decided to let me have my health, a great place to live, and a job that provides me with funds to see my favorite bands, buy pumpkin pie ice cream, and hit the town for day drinking or bar hopping with my favorite people.

Happy Thanksgiving! :-)