I am grateful. So unbelievably overwhelmed with feelings of appreciation and thanks. No, I do not have it all. I haven’t been grocery shopping in weeks, I just ate my last 3 eggs for dinner, my winter coat is ‘so last season’ and i’m up to my ears in student loans.

But I have a roof over my head and a cozy apartment that after months of waiting and saving up, is finally starting to look like a home. I have the best friends a girl could ever ask for. I have a steady paycheck that comes from hard work done with an amazing group of people that I am proud to call not just my coworkers, but my friends. I have a family who despite their faults, would go to the end of the earth for one another and is never too shy to say ‘I love you’. Aside from a knocked up knee and a stiff back, my health is good and I am strong enough to go about my day with as much energy as a classroom full of kindergarteners right before recess.

My past has taught me lessons that have given me a beautiful present and a hopeful future. So today, I am grateful. I am optimistic, full of love, and so very happy to just be alive. What are you thankful for?