Today, I am thankful

... for my family. Theirs is a love that keeps on giving. The support they have shown and are showing every hour of my life has been outstanding. Really, words are not enough to express how grateful I am to God for giving them to me. It's true that we cannot choose the family we're born into, but if I have the choice, I would still gladly choose to be a Cruz.

... for all my friends who've been there for me, no matter what. This blog post will not be enough to name each and everyone of you, so: friends from when I was still very young; friends from all levels of school; friends I met in the workplace; friends I met through friends; friends I met via different online groups/ message boards; friends I met through blogging, you are all proof that one can meet friends ANYWHERE. Thank you for the gift of friendship; you are all my angels without wings.

... for the gift of writing. As I said in a previous post, I express myself best through writing. If I didn't have writing as an outlet, I think I would've gone insane! I never imagined my blog would attract readers I haven't met personally, let alone followers and subscribers who always leave the sweetest messages. Thank you for letting me express my creative side and for appreciating the things I post. It has been a very fulfilling journey, and I don't have intentions of stopping anytime soon.

... for the gift of education. My parents have always instilled in me that education [aside from morals and dignity] is the one thing no one can take away. I have always been a conscientious student, thanks as well to all my former teachers, instructors, and professors. I believe that education does not stop when you leave the classroom and I am thankful that I have met people I consider my mentors even when I have already left the academe.

... for the people who broke my heart, not only in the romantic sense of the word. They have shown me that fragile as I think I am, I also have a strong spirit that they cannot easily break. I may have been damaged, but I am far from destroyed.

... for words of wisdom thrown my way just when I need them. Just last night while I was distraught, a friend told me, "Not because you are nice doesn't mean other people will be nice to you as well. The world does not work that way." with much conviction that I couldn't help but agree with him.

... for modern technology for letting me enjoy e-mails, Facebook, blogging, and Twitter. You have made my life so much easier, my world smaller [since almost everyone is almost at reach], and my social circle wider.

... for the gift of awe, curiosity and sense of wonder. I am a person who never gets tired of learning. I have always been inquisitive and insatiable when it comes to trying to acquire more knowledge and wisdom.

... for the opportunity to travel, take pictures, and create new memories. These are just some of the ways I can enrich my mind and my life, and I am grateful I can do it while I am still young and able. Someday, when I am old, gray, brittle-boned (but still fabulous), I will look back at the photos of our Singapore trip and smile at how I was able to explore the Lion City, walking most of the time but not seeming to tire.

... for books and their amazing authors, for letting me experience different worlds and for opening my eyes to the other dimensions I can reach via my imagination.

... for movies. Nothing de-stresses me more than watching a movie at the cinema. Fact.

... for TV shows like How I Met Your Mother, Glee, Sex and the City, The Big Bang Theory, Survivor, and Ugly Betty. They make my boring days much more bearable.

... for the music. Because really, who can live without it? I ask in all honesty, what would life be? Without a song or a dance, what are we?

... for chandeliers, cheesecakes, and charm bracelets. For ice cream, tigers, the mysterious side of the moon, funny horoscopes, candlelight, mirrors, and crayons. For fairies, musicals, and Peter Pan.

... for dresses, shoes, and bags. I know it may sound superficial of me and I acknowledge that we cannot bring material possessions when we pass away, but these pretty thingamajigs are a big part of why I am thankful God made me a girl.

... for the "eye" for spotting great bargains. Friends and acquaintances have commented on how I am always able to score pretty finds at such amazing prices. It's a talent I am born with and have honed through the years of poring through magazines and shops' racks and shelves, and I am always happy to share my loots with everyone who might want to borrow them ;)

I got both the beige bucket bag and purple handbag from a thrift-shop for only P500.

... for the gift of sharing. I'm sure you will be happy to share in the comments section what you are thankful for as well. :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

We don't really celebrate it here in the Philippines, but it still is a good day to give thanks, right?

♥♥♥