Thankful Thursday

Love them.

I'm a little late with the post about what I'm thankful for in honour of Thanksgiving, but I was too busy enjoying that which I'm thankful for to write about it until now.

Every year, I'm thankful for the same things. Loving and supportive parents, close relationships with M and R, and healthy, awesome grandparents. But this year was different. For some reason, I felt more emotional attachment to this holiday, and I think it has to do with my family being more scattered than usual.

My parents are currently on a trip of a lifetime to Hawaii and Australia, M lives in a different town, R is busy with work, and my grandparents had been away for 10 days in the States. So when I finally got to spend some time with my grandparents and M, K, and R, it meant that much more. I missed my parents, but I'm glad that they're able to take the trip and I'm thankful for email, because it lets me keep in touch with them when they're halfway around the world.

I also realized how thankful I am that, despite the issues that I may have with school, I am able to attend the program and live at home and have that decision supported by my parents. I have the ability to decide what I want to do, and the means to go after it. 

But this year, the main thing that I was thankful for are my grandparents. They are the coolest - they aren't typical grandparents, and I'm so glad for that. I can talk to them about anything, and I laugh more with them than I do with some of my friends. I spent the afternoon with my Grandma, helping out in the kitchen (as much as I could actually do without ruining anything) to get ready for dinner. We took Benny for a long walk, and I sat in the living room and chatted for hours with both my Grandma and Grandpa about nothing and everything. I realized how lucky I am to have a close relationship with them, and to count them as much as friends as they are grandparents.

They take care of me when I need anything, and they are the very best next thing when I need a "fix" of the love that only a parent can provide. They would do anything and everything for their grandkids, and their love and dedication to us is something that I've never questioned. They're such an important part of my life, and I'm so thankful that they are healthy and happy. This post doesn't even really do justice to what I think of them, but I hope that it conveys a little bit how much I love them. The time I spent with them really drove home just how lucky I am to be their granddaughter.

And that's my bit for Thanksgiving. I hope you took - or take - the time to look at your relationships and realize how important they are to you. After all, isn't that what Thanksgiving is all about?

Love,

M