thankful 2010

There are a few catalysts that have led me to write this poem. (1) It's timely in the sense that yesterday was Thanksgiving. (2) My dear friend, Simone, holds a "Thankful Brunch" the Saturday after Thanksgiving, in which we all evaluate what we're thankful for. (3) Lastly, I have been reading Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" with my seniors, so I have rhyming on my brain.

Enjoy.


Thankful 2010

As I’m thinking of the things I’m thankful for,
I realize that I am thankful for much more
Than I will be able to capture with these words.
I will do my best, though each line may not rhyme.
The things I write are from the heart; things I am thankful for at this time.

It is only right to begin with my family.
If I could have chosen a dad, mom, and brother,
I am positive that I would have chosen no other
Than what I have been blessed with,
And now with a sister-in-law that I am a perfect fit with.
My nephew and niece are the joy of my heart,
Looking at their smiles, and hearing “Auntie Mel” melt me apart.
Not only that my family is so loving, but selfless.
An example that I hope I one day, too, will bless others with.
Through their unconditional love and encouragement, I find strength.
I hope that they feel the same amount of love from me that I feel from them each and every moment, each and every day.

I am thankful for Laela, and the technology
That has allowed me to remain close, though half a country
Apart. No matter what has happened in our day,
We can update each other; laugh, cry, only a phone call away.
I am thankful for planes and other modes of travel
Which have brought me another close friend from a Cape, though not Canaveral.
Simone has been a great friend through tough times, and good.
She has never ceased to invite me over to eat her delicious food.
Beee. You complete meee.
I have so many other friends I am thankful for, though I fear,
I will not be able to come up with enough rhymes to mention each by name here.

I am thankful for my church, the family I have there;
The different ministries that God has bestowed upon my care.
I am thankful for the youth group, and the senior girls.
I am thankful for singing on the worship team, even when my voice unfurls.
I know that God has placed me there to do His will in my life.
I pray that one day I will hear from Him, “Well done, good and faithful one.”

I am thankful for the job that God has given me again,
For teaching Seniors, Juniors, and the Freshmen.
I love my staff, teachers and administrators,
But most of all I love that God has blessed me with the position of Cheer Co-Advisor.

I am thankful for my health, and for my doctors who have found
The different ailments that have, at times, held me down.
I am thankful that God has my life in His hands,
I am thankful that I don’t have to worry, though I am changing my healthcare plan.

I am thankful for the beautiful apartment God has blessed me with,
But, especially for the fireplace, I don’t know how I ever lived without it.
I am thankful for the armoire that I wanted and thought I lost
From Ikea in March of this year, but Laela found in June at a better cost.
I am thankful for my hummingbird feeder and the two birds that come near
And fight over the nectar, silly birds, I will always have plenty here.
I am thankful for my incredible mattress, I really couldn’t ask for better.
I am thankful for the little trinkets God has allowed me to collect through my travels.

Here are some random things I am thankful for, but still just as vital.
I am thankful for cupcakes, sewing machines, aprons, oven mitts, and my bookcase from Crate and Barrel.
Peppermint Mochas and Iced Soy Chai Tea Lattes from Starbucks are my favorites.
I am thankful for my camera to capture the perfect moments.
I am thankful for frames and pictures, and memories that are fleeting,
Yet can be caught on film and thus be remembered so sweetly.

Though I am thankful for the good, that is not all;
I am thankful for the times of pain and suffering, as they have fulfilled my call
That God has given me, and the person He has called me to be,
Who am I to wish that such things hadn’t happened, shaping who is the very me?

I am thankful for the gifts that God has given me, not just those of material worth.
I am thankful for the love He has given me, especially because it is a love I don’t deserve.

I am thankful for the hope that one-day
Though it may be far away
That I will get to be a wife
Looking at my husband, kids, and life
Knowing that God blessed me with
The most precious and rewarding gift I could have hoped for.
Though that day has yet to come, and it is not promised me,
I will still be thankful, even if it is not in His will for me.

Looking back over this I’m sure I forgot
Several things I should have included but that doesn’t mean I’m not
Thankful for all I have and all I’ve been given
In these eleven months of two thousand and ten.