Giving Thanks

Have you ever went to sleep with something on your mind and woke up the next day with that same thought? Last night before I went to sleep, I prayed (like I do most times) and afterwards, I started thinking about all the people and things I was thankful for and I woke up with that same frame of mind. So I thought I would share just what The God'ess is thankful for. Go ahead and click on the video and let that serve as a little background music while reading. *Please note that the following list is in no particular order.

First, I am thankful and grateful to the Almighty for allowing me to see another one of His days. As I think back over the years, I can't help but think of those that are no longer with us, for whatever reason, and I give thanks to God for deeming me worthy to be amongst the living one more day.

Next, I'm thankful for my personal Three Stooges, LaSean, 20; Damian, 16; and Keith, 12. Those 3 are the reasons that I do what I should and don't do what I shouldn't. It would be easy for me to sit here and say that my conscience leads me, and it does, to an extent. But honestly, whenever I'm faced with a dilemma, I think of my babies (yes, I know technically they're not babies, but they're my babies) and how what I do would still affect them and I try and make the right choice. I'm not saying it happens 100% of the time, but I'm not locked up or dead, so I must be on the right track.

I'm thankful that I've been given another chance to begin again. My life story is one that has many twists and turns and I've been on the road to nowhere more times than I would like to admit. But through God's grace, determination and a bit of stubbornness, I'm able to say, with absolute certainty, that while the environment that you grew up in has a lot to do with how a person turns out, it doesn't necessarily HAVE TO determine where you end up.

I'm thankful for a group of the greatest friends that a Diva could ever have. I have a tremendous support system and each person that I interact with, whether realistically or virtually, has left a mark on my life that will never be erased. I could name names but I'm sure I would leave someone out and it is not my intention to slight anyone in any way. So I'll just say I love you to my VA fam, my NC fam, my 360 fam, my Facebook fam, and my Twitter fam (even though I'm not on there as much).

I'm thankful that I have one of the greatest men in my life and that he loves me unconditionally throughout whatever. He stuck by me when others turned their backs on me, he's listened to me bitch and complain about absolutely nothing and even when I didn't deserve it, he never gave up on me. I love you, Daddy. *That's "daddy" as in father, btw.

And lastly, I'm thankful for all of the troubled times and hurtful situations that I've been through. My absolute favorite quote is, "That which does not kill you makes you stronger" and I am a living testimony to that. I have tried to not make a habit of asking, "why me" and instead I say, "it's just my turn". We all go through things in life that test our faith and abilities but when we make it out, we should have learned something about the situation so we know what to and what not to do if it happens again. So I'm blessed that I've made it thus far with only a few scratches, bumps and bruises (mainly on my heart, but elsewhere as well) and I'm grateful that I get to try it again.

So that's my short list of things I'm thankful for. There are many more I could add to it but I'll save those for my talks with the Almighty. Be blessed, folks and don't forget to be thankful for what you've got.