Thanksgiving is a time to spend with your loved ones and share a meal together, while you reflect over all you've been blessed with. One thing I've realized over the years is that you don't have to have a picture perfect Thanksgiving, like the ones they show in magazines or on tv. It doesn't matter whether you're eating turkey subs in the hospital, the Thanksgiving special at Denny's, or having a traditional Thanksgiving feast. All that matters is that you spend it with the people you love.
This Thanksgiving holiday I want to share three stories with you that have occurred this past month to show the holiday spirit of blessings and thankfulness. A story of miracles, a story of tragedy, and a story of hope.
First a story of miracles. A few months ago, my cousin's boyfriend discovered he had kidney stones. Not the normal kind of kidney stones that you can pass on your own, but the kind that need to be surgically removed. He was shocked and overwhelmed, like anyone might be in this situation. Now for respect of his privacy, I will not share the full story. But this story actually started half a year previous to his discovery.
It all began when he met my cousin, on an arranged date. My cousin now admittingly states that she wanted nothing to do with him, she didn't care for dating and was only going because the friend setting them up was her best friend's husband. She dressed in baggy clothes and tried to scare him away, luckily it didn't work. Soon they went on a second date, third date, and on and on until they became a steady couple. Everyone hopes to one day find a person that makes them happy beyond belief, and that's what this couple is. They make each other happy and want to be together whenever they can. Even if they're paying taxes, tryign out a new game, or simply doing nothing, they want to do it together. It wasn't until months into their relationship that things took a sudden turn when the news of a kidney stone surfaced.
Now I can't say for sure but as an outsider looking in, this tragic event brought them closer. My cousin began finding anyway possible to help him through this. She helped him stick to his kidney health diet by joining him. She went with him on doctors visits, saw him during lunch, and visited him more frequently so that he never felt alone. My cousin even opened up to strangers, another thing she hates, simply because they were his family and she wanted to keep them updated on his surgery. Now my cousin is the least touchy-feely, sappy romantic girl I know, but she still did all of this for him.
When the time came for a surgery, she even took off at work (something she rarely does) so that she could stay by his side. The surgery actually took place this Monday, it was supposed to be a long and strenuous surgery. The doctors thought it might even take two rounds of surgery, but after much prayer from family members on both sides he made it through. It only took a single surgery for the kidney stones to be gone, which the specialist claimed to be her easiest case of the day (even though she thought it would be the hardest). Her boyfriend constantly says he wishes he had met her ten years earlier, but she always retaliates with "No, we met at just the right time." In all honesty it's one of the sweetest stories I've ever heard, and shows us that faith can conquer any obstacle. God has blessed us with good health, something that not everyone is blessed with this holiday season.
Next a story of tragedy. Now I don't want to put a downer on the previous story, and this next one is a long story so I am going to summarize it. If you would like to read the full story, please click on the link. This story also hits me close to home, because it happened in my town at my school. I only met her on and we hardly spoke, but I had no idea it would be my first and last encounter with her. Her name was Payton Herrington. She was a freshman at the University of Texas at Tyler studying Mass Communications. She was a brilliant, kind girl who touched the lives of everyone she met. She died tragically in a car accident with a motorcyclist named Daryll on November 14th. Now please do not misread my summary as disrespect. The reason I do not go into detail is if I did I would put all my readers (young and old, male and female) in tears. I do suggest you read the full story and honor the passing of this young lady with a few moments of your time, but I don't think I could describe her whole story as eloquently as the article can. I bring this story of tragedy, that occurred so close to the holidays, to your attention for this reason. You never know when death will hit you or a loved one. So much of our lives is spent in anger towards relatives, friends, or loved ones for menial disagreements. No matter what the issue, death should not end your feud before you have the chance to.
Why is it that we remember people best in death?
Is it that we don't want to speak ill of the departed,
Or is it because our issues seem insignificant.
People are always waiting for the right moment,
That perfect opportunity where the stars align and everything is right.
We forget to say I love you,
Until we can no longer.
We wait until tomorrow,
Until there are no tomorrows left.
Instead of waiting until death to let go of mistakes,
What if we looked past them today?
You'll never get a chance to say you're sorry,
You won't hear I do until you wear your heart on your sleeve.
Instead of living a life of 'what ifs',
Experience an adventure of 'why nots'.
Don't wait until it's too late to speak your mind,
Because you never know when your time will come to an end.
Now lastly, I would like to end with a story of hope. I love to write. I might not be a Shakespearean Poet, and I'm definitely no Edgar Allen Poe. I dream of one day being as eloquent as Charles Dickens or Jane Austen. I want to make groundbreaking philosophical statements like Ray Bradbury and Suzanne Collins. I want to make other worlds come to life like J. R. R. Tolkien, Rick Riordan, and C. S. Lewis. Some of you reading this may think I'm insane for comparing myself to some of the greatest authors in history, but I think that it is quite possible for me to become as great as them.
I write these blogs not to share the intimate details of my life or force my opinion down your throats like bad meatloaf. I write these as my way of sharing my beliefs and ideas to the world. While my possible best sellers are still in production, I have this blog to speak about the things that I believe in.
If you've ever met me, I'm rather quiet. Most people mistake this for being shy. In all honesty, I have learned more about the world through listening than I have speaking. You'd be amazed how much you can learn by simply shutting your mouth and really listening to what people have to say. So many people, strangers even, have poured their hearts out to me in bathrooms, lobbies, classrooms, or benches simply because I stopped and listened. I have seen and learned much about the world that most people my age don't even think about. In my everyday life I feel almost suffocated, like I don't know how to express all these thoughts running through my head and that's why I write.
Any well acclaimed author could tell you, writing stories isn't something you just do, it's a plague. A disease that wakes you in the middle of the night with a brilliant breakthrough that won't let you sleep until you've written it all down. (That's why I'm up so late now) Writing is visions of other worlds and dimensions where characters live through breathtaking stories. Many people say they never have good ideas for stories, but a true authors has story writng it in their blood. They don't create the stories and the characters, they're simply recording the dreams that repeat over and over in their minds and allow the characters to reach a goal or complete a task so that they too can find peace. It is the greatest feeling in the world for me. It might sound crazy. Most authors wouldn't admit this for fear people already thought they were insane.
The reason I show the number of viewers my blog has is not so that I can rub it in your face, it's to give me hope. Whenever I see that number go up I feel like I can do anything if I truly put my heart into it. God has given me a talent, and I want to use that talent to reach people all over the world.
This is my story of hope for you. We've all been given obstacles in life, challenges we must face, and tragedies we must overcome. Through all the hardships in my life and after every bullet I've dodged, I found release in writing. When I am angry, lost, hurt, confused, happy, overwhelmed, or simply plagued with brilliance I write. We all have a muse that speaks to us, mine is my faith. Typically whenever I face an issue I turn to my faith or in past cases away from it. God is my rock, my entire life is built on Him and without it I crumble. Whenever challenges come my way, I turn to my Heavenly Father and I am given revelation that I express through writing. Writing helps me overcome issues or express my excitement. We all have some outlet, whether it's music, sports, writing, painting, tinkering, math, cooking or maybe something else. Whatever you love doing, do it. As my favorite baseball player Babe Ruth said, "Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back."
We each have a different destiny. If we were all the same, life would be dull. No matter how you show your talents, whether it's playing guitar on the corner, singing your heart out at a local coffee shop, throwing a football, or even writing a blog find your outlet. Some outlets make careers, while others were meant to be our way to connect to the world.
Just like the trees shed their leaves in the autumn and begin anew, we too can let go of our past failures and find our roots. Some people wait until New Years to try and start over, but it's when we reverie over our mistakes, failures, ans blessings that we truly discover what matters and who we are. Be thankful for all the blessings you have as you sit down to eat Thanksgiving dinner this year. You have been blessed with your health, your loved ones, and your talents. We have been given these gifts, and yet they're the things we take for granted more than anything else. This Thanksgiving holiday, do as Charles Dickens once said, "Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many--not on your past misfortunes which all men have some." Not all of us have everything all together, but we do have one thing in common. No matter what size or shade of our rain clouds, there will always be a silver lining. You just have to look for it.
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