Giving Thanks & The Bigger Picture

Today is Thanksgiving. I woke up, rolled out of bed and my first thoughts are, "Yay, I have to work." (being sarcastic of course) and "This sucks that I'm hundreds of miles away from my family again for Thanksgiving." I've been pretty bummed about it all week. Listening to others plan their festivities doesn't help matters either. I believe that this Thanksgiving makes numero cinco in a row that I don't get to see my family. In the past, it hasn't bothered me as much because I was giving up that holiday for the "bigger picture" i.e. going home for Christmas. Unfortunately, at my new place of employment I not only have to give up my Thanksgiving, but also my Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's... and let me add that I've also worked every holiday leading up to this point as well. I've grappled with this "policy" for a few weeks now because I'm not seeing the "bigger picture" therefore feeling a little slighted... ok, a lot slighted. It wouldn't bother me so much if I had to work and got the opportunity to see my family as well at the end of the day, but that's impossible.
Enough with the wallowing! After a long, hot, soaking shower I realized there is a "bigger picture" after all. This is of course, the fact that if it weren't for this job I wouldn't be able to move up the corporate ladder and if it weren't for this job I wouldn't be able to reach some of the goals that I had set for myself this year. So, I'm turning this around today and what better day to do it than Thanksgiving. I know, this is just a drop in the bucket of the many Thanksgivings to come that I will get to spend with my family. With this job ultimately helping me to get there.
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I went in to work today not wanting to be there, but determined to keep a positive outlook on everything. What a relief it was to know I wasn't the only one wallowing in self-pity for having to work on Thanksgiving. First thing I did when I walked in was ask everyone what they were thankful for, which was closely followed by a few people who told me I was too perky. Too perky??? I know my mom would get a laugh out of that. That is the last thing I have been for the past couple of days. That didn't deter me though. Throughout the day, anything no matter how minute it was...if I was thankful for it, then I said it out loud. I mean, what's the point in being all gloom and doom about this? There's nothing we can do to change it.

So, here are some of the ones I came up with on this turkey day:

1) That I even have a job to begin with.
2) That my paycheck cleared today!
3) That I'm finally able to save money to go on vacations and to pay down debt.
4) That the photocopier works.
5) My 3 nephews Josh, Logan, and Liam.
6) My understanding and loving family.
7) My grandma and her letters that she sends me.
8) The caring and generous people out there that gave me a free Thanksgiving meal today.
9) The homeless man that returned something valuable to me that I had left behind today.
10) My health.
11) The friends I have made here in Myrtle Beach who have taken me in and made this place feel more like home.
12) All of my friends.... you guys are some of the best people I know.
13) My dog and her unconditional love.
14) My 1 bedroom apartment (sooooo much better than the studio I lived in for 2 and a half years).
15) My washer and drier and the fact I no longer have to go to a laundromat.
16) Food in my fridge.
17) A working cell phone that holds a charge for more than an hour.
18) A working computer in fact, since I had a rash of electronics malfunctioning on me for a while.
19) Health insurance.
20) A car with no car payments.

and sooooo much more!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!