The good and the not good

I spent today enjoying my break, as I often do by sleeping in. I thought, rather than wake up early to publish my annual reaffirmation of thankfulness that I would wait and see what this day brought to me. I figured I could glean a little more about my favorite holiday by seeing how other people acted on it.

The food was good. The company was good. Being home was good. Overall, my experience today was good. I was happy to be home in a place that I felt safe. I realized, that there are lots of things that are good about being home, so I considered about writing about home, but that seems a bit to mushy (perhaps in a few years when I have thought more on it). The point is that there are many things that are good. There are also things that are not so good.

Here is a college student taking a shot in the dark: stress is not good; predicting where we are going to be in the future is usually not good; money is not good. There are many things that are not good because of how tired and uncomfortable things can be. Now, you’re probably wondering exactly why I am thankful for things like stress, loans, and uncertain futures. I know that I have been struggling with a break that has been far from restful (it seems professors think they should assign a proportionate amount of work for the time that we are not in class this week). What I am thankful for is being able to know the difference. The ol’ you can’t see the light without the shadows argument.

I am very excited about things in the immediate future. This semester is almost over (I aminfinitely thankful for this) and even though the coming few weeks are going to be hell, I realize that it will not last. This may be one of the only things that is pulling me through this semester. I am excited for new (more interesting, less labor intensive) classes. I am excited to get my license (hopefully). Even with the endless amounts of work I have yet to plough through over the next few days I am thankful that it will not be the end all.

I am also thankful for discovering my limits. I have written before that college is about discovering that you can’t have it all. Now all I have to do is start learning how to let some of those things go (another not good) so that I can enjoy the things that I am passionate about more fully (this is a good).

I’ve just about hit the main things I realized today, so I’ll do the short list. I’m thankful for my wonderful boyfriend, who has helped me endlessly this past year. I am thankful that time and distance is not goodbye, but I need to start getting in touch with people more often. I am thankful for homemade food. I am thankful for the opportunity to pursue the things I love.

I am thankful.

-Mike