Today’s thursday. It’s also Thanksgiving. I do not celebrate thanksgiving for the origins of the slaughter of many native americans.

But I do take a minute on ANY given day to be grateful for all that I have.

We should not just take ONE day but EVERY day of the year to thank our god, the universe or whatever you believe in, for all the wonderful things you have. And thank yourself-for the choices you made in your life. In my life, I’ve encountered seen jealousy and envy. When I first met my husband, I used to tell him, “I don’t always feel so sorry for people because everyone in life has a choice to make.” And I still think that, to an extent.

Don’t feel envy for someone. Feel happy that they have something you think is nice. Be happy for them. Life is about choices. You make the choices in life. Life doesn’t just “happen” to you.

Be thankful ALL the time, not just on a designated holiday. I was thinking about a movie I saw a long time ago. This man, he was abused verbally and emotionally by his mother. At the end, he had come up with this amazing career as an athelete, thanks to his response to her abuse towards him growing up. When giving a speech, he actually thanked her. That movie always stuck out in my head, and I was thinking about it yesterday. So I wrote a poem that I thought I’d share with you.

It’s called, Thank You. I should mention that each stanza is a different person.

thank you

for the way you tilt your head when you laugh

thank you

for being the rebel that no one knows you are

thank you

thank you

for helping me realize that life

is about choices

and I

chose you and

my life is splendid indeed

because my choices

were positive

thank you

thank you for being my true love

thank you

for that first time you told me, “diana you ARE an artist”

Thank you.

thank you for the drawings and notes early in the morning

thank you for working hard

thank you

for teaching me

to be romantic

thank you

thank you

for making me a mother

thank you for the smiles and the hugs and the

cute drawings you make for me

I keep them all

thank you

for calling me your best friend

for baking in the kitchen with me like my abuela did with me

thank you

thank you for being a little light of love and hope

thank you

thank you that usually

when you don’t want to say hi to someone i know

they normally turn out to be just

a little

nutty.

thank you

and

thank you

for looking like me

for showing me

teaching me

what it is to truly love

and truly give

thank you

for teaching me the patience of the Buddha

thank you

thank you for giving me a reason

to aim for more in life

thank you

Thank you for teaching me what it means

to bless those who curse you

thank you

thank you for making my life a living hell:

out of the ashes of your shitmouth

came my poems and my art

so

thank you

for the adversity

thank you

thank you for teaching me what God ISN’T

thank you

thank you for teaching me what a mother ISN’T

thank you

I

thank you

thank you

for being there

for listening

for being the mother I never had

for teaching me what a REAL woman is

who God is

what life is about

thank you

and

thank you for teaching me what to look for in a man

thank you abuelita

for the advice by your bed

for the carne esmechada that no one else makes like you

did

for the cooking lessons, you

gave me your passion

in the kitchen

thank you

thank you for the way always smelled of perfume, and

not

the vieja kind

thank you

thank you abuela

thank you for the love

thank you for the stories about life in Colombia

thank you

I

thank you

—————————-