Thank You

It goes without saying that this week the majority of Americans will be focused on Thanksgiving Day and all that it means. Some people will have a long list of things to be grateful for. Some won't. Some will be focused on the feast and some will be grateful for whatever food they have that day. Sometimes gratitude is a tough thing to pin down when you're feeling less than grateful for where you are in life.

I've been seeing a particular quote from Meister Eckhart floating around Facebook and other venues in the last week or so: "If the only prayer you said was thank you that would be enough." I think "thank you" and gratitude go hand in hand. So my gratitude list is also a prayer of thanks for all of the good things in my life, like a home, food on the table, a job that pays the bills, a family I love and that loves me, and so much more. There is, however, someone who should be on that thank you list that is usually left off if they are remembered at all. That's kind of hard to believe when you realize that they are the most important person in your  life. You could not live without them. It's you. Whether you believe it or not, you have done more for yourself than you may imagine. You may not always be happy with yourself, but you have always done the very best you could with the experience, knowledge and assets you had at the time. You have always been there for you when no one else was. We're talking the best friend you will ever have.

So this year I am topping off my thank you list with a short but heartfelt note to me in deepest gratitude:

Dear Barb,

Thank you so very much for always being there when I needed  you. You have always looked out for me and done the best you could every day. Some days were better than others, but you never left me, never forgot me, always encouraged me and pushed me to be the very best "me" I could be. I know it's not always easy being my best friend. I know I can be argumentative, frustrating, procrastinating, and downright stubborn a lot of the time. Still, day after day, you did what had to be done to take care of me. You fed me when I was hungry, tucked me in at night, doctored me when I was sick, and rewarded me for every accomplishment however small. I know you will always have my back and with that knowledge I am less afraid to try new things, meet new people and reach for my dreams. Rest assured that when my dreams come true, you will be standing right there with me as we share the glory together. You taught me that I am stronger than I know and braver than I believe myself to be (didn't you say that to Winnie The Pooh, too?).

Thank you. I love you.

And so it is.