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During this time of year, we reflect on things which we are thankful for.  It’s so easy to get caught up in what’s not going right, or who left us, or what we don’t have that we don’t take time to realize all the blessings that surround us.  I’m thankful for the legacy left by my grandparents and father—to live life to the fullest and challenge others to do the same.  I’m thankful for a loving husband who supports me regardless of my crazy ideas and pushes me to excel in whatever I choose to do.  I’m thankful for obedient children whose eyes light up when I enter the room despite my busy days and shortcomings.  I’m thankful for a mother who still prays for me every day and encourages me to shoot for the stars.  I’m thankful for friends and sisters who cherish me and are an asset (not a liability) to me.  I’m thankful for a home full of peace and love that others enjoy coming to.  I’m thankful for life—realizing that it is fleeting and I am not guaranteed another second.  I’m thankful for opportunities—the many open doors I can walk through and experience success and even failure.  I’m thankful for those who gave their lives so I can experience the freedoms I have in this country.  In short, I’m thankful for “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.

When we spend more time reflecting on the positive and the blessings that surround us, we have less time (if any) to dwell on the negative.  I choose this day and every day to reflect on my blessings and I will count them one by one.  I don’t have time to think about the haters, the “frenemies”, the past that I can’t change or even the future that I don’t know how it will unfold.  All I have is today and I want it to be the best day because I choose to be the best me.  I choose to find joy in the pain, light in the darkness, quiet in the noise, peace in the turmoil, prosperity in poverty and love instead of hate.  If we all choose to see the good around us and in ourselves, we can make our communities and ultimately the world a better place.  Not because we are perfect, but because we give way to the God inside us who is perfect.  So, here’s to a Happy Thanksgiving—one of joy, peace, love and prosperity as we count our blessings!

~Coletta Jones Patterson