Thank You
Last year, after rebooting the blog, my first post centered around Thanksgiving, about how it is often that forgotten holiday tucked in between Halloween and Christmas. Thanksgiving is a great holiday in its own right - food, family, fall weather, football, and...giving thanks, of course! It's pretty cool that there is a holiday carved out to giving thanks (pun intended).
When you're a kid, odds are you were always told to say "please" and "thank you". And if you grew up in the south, you were also taught to say "yes sir/no sir" and "yes ma'am/no ma'am". The thing about "thanks" and "thank you" is that they get said and used so much, I think we sometimes forget the importance of them. Saying "thanks'" or "thank you" becomes so routine that it's probably a good thing that we have a holiday to remind ourselves of the importance of giving thanks. Gratitude goes a long way - it even helps put a stop to the dreaded "Comparison Game". Sadly, "Gratitudesgiving" doesn't have the same ring to it as Thanksgiving does, but that's not important.
All of this is to say, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a moment and reflect and give thanks to others, those that have helped me out along the way.
To all the teachers I've had K-12 and to all the professors that I had in college, thank you. You have all done a great job imparting knowledge on hundreds (if not thousands) of students, including me. I've learned so much from you all, more than I'll ever be able to say. And some of the most important things I learned from you all went beyond what's in a textbook or in a classroom. Being out of school for nearly two years now makes me appreciate all that teachers, counselors, principals, etc. do all the more. Teaching's a hard profession, but one that makes all the other professions possible. Thank you, teachers.
To all veterans and those that are currently serving, thank you. Thank you for all the countless sacrifices that you have made serving this country that enable us to enjoy the freedoms and rights that we have today. It's fitting that Veterans' Day and Thanksgiving are close together. Let us never forget those that have served (and those that passed while serving) so that we can be free. As is often said around Memorial Day and Veterans' Day, "all gave some, some gave all". Thank you, veterans.
To Glen Allen, Virginia, thank you. It's funny how I've found myself appreciating Virginia more now that I no longer live there. It makes me enjoy the taste of Cheerwine and Ukrop's rainbow cookies a little more (side note: Ukrop's will always be the best grocery store). The friendly confines of Springfield Park will always be comforting and a blast from the past. Broad Street will always be...well, broad. Short Pump will always be a crowded suburban mall that manages to keep getting more crowded (even as someone living in Houston, I'm amazed by how bad the traffic gets there). I'll keep coming back from time to time, amazed by all the changes that have taken place. In some ways, it feels like the more things change, the more things stay the same. Thank you, Glen Allen.
To St. Andrew's United Methodist Church, thank you. Special thanks to the church that I grew up in for all those years. You were a great church to me growing up, a place filled with happy memories and wonderful, loving people. It started with the Little Lambs class and continued well beyond Crossfire. It was nice to be able to come back and visit during the breaks in college, and it was nice to visit you again last month. Thank you, St. Andrew's UMC.
To Baylor University, thank you. Thank you for the memories, the life lessons, the friends, Common Grounds, my special spot in Moody library - all of it. It wasn't always easy, but in the end, it was worth it. I learned a lot in my time there, both in and outside of the classroom. It was great to take part in traditions like the Baylor Line and Dr Pepper Hour, not to mention forge my own tradition of going to IHOP at the end of every semester. You provided me that first true "taste of Texas", one that is a heck of a lot different than Virginia. I know I've been terrible about visiting you since graduating, but I promise I'll return. In the meantime, I'll fling my green and gold afar. Thank you, Baylor University.
To Houston, thank you. When I flew down here last January, I truly didn't know what was in store. You've been a great first city out of college to me. Virginia will always be home to me, but you're my "new home". Then again, you're not so new anymore. I'm coming up on 2 years here. Houston, you've taught me "Adulting 101", so to speak - moving to a new city, having a full-time job, paying bills and taxes, and doing things on my own. You've introduced me to a lot of great people (more on that later), reconnected me with some familiar faces from time to time, introduced me to some amazing food, and added new meaning to words like "traffic" and "humidity". I may or may not cheer a little more for the Texans, Rockets, and Astros now...or at least I want to see them do well. Thank you, Houston.
To The District, thank you. You have made the transition to Houston so much easier. When I was researching and first visited Second Baptist, I was kind of overwhelmed by how big it was and didn't know where to go. You were the first class that I walked into - and I haven't left it since. I've met a lot of great and amazing people, people that I'm lucky to call my friends. I've seen myself grow a lot in my walk with God - and that's a testament to the great people serving in this class. Thank you, The District.
To all my friends - Virginia, Baylor, and Houston friends alike, thank you. A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about the importance of friends. It is said that a few friends are worth more than a thousand acquaintances -and that's absolutely true. Over the past few months, I've come to see just how important friends are, to have those people by your side when you're at your worst and when times are tough. Those are special friends, friends that are with you in tough times and friends that reach out to you to make sure you're doing alright. If you're lucky enough to have friends like those in your life, never take them for granted and never let them go. Friends have a way of telling you what needs to be said and getting you back on the right track. They also have a way of surprising you by showing up at your apartment with Oreos. With friends, there's also that fun of reminiscing on past memories while creating new ones in the process. Thank you, friends.
To my family, thank you. Thank you always being there for me, for welcoming me over summers and holidays, for being with me in the toughest of times. Thank you for helping me get through high school, through college, and through the challenges the adult life has thrown at me so far. There have been countless times I've called or texted you late at night about what's been going on - good and bad, and you've always been there for me offering lover and support. You have been the calming force when I've been overwhelmed and stressed. I always know that I can go to you and count on you. As I've gotten older and live on my own, I've come to appreciate you all the more, more than words can say. It's always nice to visit and see you, and I'm going to try and visit you more often. Thank you, family.
I've got a lot to be thankful to God for this Thanksgiving, more than I'll ever be able to list in a blog post. I admittedly haven't been as close to God as I should be right now, but it's gratifying to know that God has a way of meeting us where we are and using difficult times to draw us closer to Him and to those that matter. It's funny how the difficult seasons can make you all the more thankful that you have. It could be that those difficult times make us realize what we do have. All of this is to say...bring on Thanksgiving!
Oh, and in the spirit of this post's title, thank you for reading. Happy Thanksgiving!
When you're a kid, odds are you were always told to say "please" and "thank you". And if you grew up in the south, you were also taught to say "yes sir/no sir" and "yes ma'am/no ma'am". The thing about "thanks" and "thank you" is that they get said and used so much, I think we sometimes forget the importance of them. Saying "thanks'" or "thank you" becomes so routine that it's probably a good thing that we have a holiday to remind ourselves of the importance of giving thanks. Gratitude goes a long way - it even helps put a stop to the dreaded "Comparison Game". Sadly, "Gratitudesgiving" doesn't have the same ring to it as Thanksgiving does, but that's not important.
All of this is to say, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a moment and reflect and give thanks to others, those that have helped me out along the way.
To all the teachers I've had K-12 and to all the professors that I had in college, thank you. You have all done a great job imparting knowledge on hundreds (if not thousands) of students, including me. I've learned so much from you all, more than I'll ever be able to say. And some of the most important things I learned from you all went beyond what's in a textbook or in a classroom. Being out of school for nearly two years now makes me appreciate all that teachers, counselors, principals, etc. do all the more. Teaching's a hard profession, but one that makes all the other professions possible. Thank you, teachers.
To all veterans and those that are currently serving, thank you. Thank you for all the countless sacrifices that you have made serving this country that enable us to enjoy the freedoms and rights that we have today. It's fitting that Veterans' Day and Thanksgiving are close together. Let us never forget those that have served (and those that passed while serving) so that we can be free. As is often said around Memorial Day and Veterans' Day, "all gave some, some gave all". Thank you, veterans.
To Glen Allen, Virginia, thank you. It's funny how I've found myself appreciating Virginia more now that I no longer live there. It makes me enjoy the taste of Cheerwine and Ukrop's rainbow cookies a little more (side note: Ukrop's will always be the best grocery store). The friendly confines of Springfield Park will always be comforting and a blast from the past. Broad Street will always be...well, broad. Short Pump will always be a crowded suburban mall that manages to keep getting more crowded (even as someone living in Houston, I'm amazed by how bad the traffic gets there). I'll keep coming back from time to time, amazed by all the changes that have taken place. In some ways, it feels like the more things change, the more things stay the same. Thank you, Glen Allen.
To St. Andrew's United Methodist Church, thank you. Special thanks to the church that I grew up in for all those years. You were a great church to me growing up, a place filled with happy memories and wonderful, loving people. It started with the Little Lambs class and continued well beyond Crossfire. It was nice to be able to come back and visit during the breaks in college, and it was nice to visit you again last month. Thank you, St. Andrew's UMC.
To Baylor University, thank you. Thank you for the memories, the life lessons, the friends, Common Grounds, my special spot in Moody library - all of it. It wasn't always easy, but in the end, it was worth it. I learned a lot in my time there, both in and outside of the classroom. It was great to take part in traditions like the Baylor Line and Dr Pepper Hour, not to mention forge my own tradition of going to IHOP at the end of every semester. You provided me that first true "taste of Texas", one that is a heck of a lot different than Virginia. I know I've been terrible about visiting you since graduating, but I promise I'll return. In the meantime, I'll fling my green and gold afar. Thank you, Baylor University.
To Houston, thank you. When I flew down here last January, I truly didn't know what was in store. You've been a great first city out of college to me. Virginia will always be home to me, but you're my "new home". Then again, you're not so new anymore. I'm coming up on 2 years here. Houston, you've taught me "Adulting 101", so to speak - moving to a new city, having a full-time job, paying bills and taxes, and doing things on my own. You've introduced me to a lot of great people (more on that later), reconnected me with some familiar faces from time to time, introduced me to some amazing food, and added new meaning to words like "traffic" and "humidity". I may or may not cheer a little more for the Texans, Rockets, and Astros now...or at least I want to see them do well. Thank you, Houston.
To The District, thank you. You have made the transition to Houston so much easier. When I was researching and first visited Second Baptist, I was kind of overwhelmed by how big it was and didn't know where to go. You were the first class that I walked into - and I haven't left it since. I've met a lot of great and amazing people, people that I'm lucky to call my friends. I've seen myself grow a lot in my walk with God - and that's a testament to the great people serving in this class. Thank you, The District.
To all my friends - Virginia, Baylor, and Houston friends alike, thank you. A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about the importance of friends. It is said that a few friends are worth more than a thousand acquaintances -and that's absolutely true. Over the past few months, I've come to see just how important friends are, to have those people by your side when you're at your worst and when times are tough. Those are special friends, friends that are with you in tough times and friends that reach out to you to make sure you're doing alright. If you're lucky enough to have friends like those in your life, never take them for granted and never let them go. Friends have a way of telling you what needs to be said and getting you back on the right track. They also have a way of surprising you by showing up at your apartment with Oreos. With friends, there's also that fun of reminiscing on past memories while creating new ones in the process. Thank you, friends.
To my family, thank you. Thank you always being there for me, for welcoming me over summers and holidays, for being with me in the toughest of times. Thank you for helping me get through high school, through college, and through the challenges the adult life has thrown at me so far. There have been countless times I've called or texted you late at night about what's been going on - good and bad, and you've always been there for me offering lover and support. You have been the calming force when I've been overwhelmed and stressed. I always know that I can go to you and count on you. As I've gotten older and live on my own, I've come to appreciate you all the more, more than words can say. It's always nice to visit and see you, and I'm going to try and visit you more often. Thank you, family.
I've got a lot to be thankful to God for this Thanksgiving, more than I'll ever be able to list in a blog post. I admittedly haven't been as close to God as I should be right now, but it's gratifying to know that God has a way of meeting us where we are and using difficult times to draw us closer to Him and to those that matter. It's funny how the difficult seasons can make you all the more thankful that you have. It could be that those difficult times make us realize what we do have. All of this is to say...bring on Thanksgiving!
Oh, and in the spirit of this post's title, thank you for reading. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving weekend last year in Seattle with the fam!
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