Thank You

"What would you think of me now?
So lucky, so strong, so proud?
I never said Thank You for that."

-Jimmy Eat World

This is a song I hadn't connected with until recently. Part of the lyric reminds me of my mother. My mother is the one who raised me, to whom I attribute everything good about myself: my optimism, my tendency to see the good in most situations, and my endeavour to always see the good in other people.

Driving home from Texas was enlightening. Most drives are, especially when the landscape is pretty, the sun and the clouds are just right in the sky, and all around Nature seems to be singing its praises, and you can't help but join in. But listening to song lyrics like the one above, I realize both how lucky I am to be where I am, how blessed I've been in this life, and how grateful I am. There are things in my life now that I would be dissapointed about, if my mom were still alive to find out about them - and there are things I've learned, changes I've made (for the better), that I really wish I could share with her.

I did have the chance to thank my mom for what she gave me, and I've grown up since then, since she died - grown away from her, as I should, as everyone does. But the lesson I learned - even from that sentimental feeling I got, thanking my mom once more, thanking her through the sky and the clouds and through God on that sunny drive north from Texas - was that I cannot forget to thank those who have helped me even further in my walk as a Christian, in my walk as a human being, and in my walk as a man.

My friends are the gems of this world. Friends are the arms of God, reaching out to hold or comfort us. I see God in the tears of my friends, in the laughter, in the words of my friends, in the love of my friends. Friendship is one of the key elements to our humanity. There is little I could have done without them.

It's tough, sometimes, watching them move on with their lives, or having to move on, yourself, and leave people behind. It happens, it always does. One hopes that paths cross again, and sometimes they do. I'm grateful to know that I don't have to worry about falling away from the friends I've made.

God has truly blessed me.

There's so much more to say here. To say about life, the future, the keys to happiness, to contentment. There is so much I've learned about myself and about love. Maybe I'll find the words to share it. I'm not as eloquent as some, so it might take me more time :). But for now, I just wanted to get that out there.

I am blessed. Very blessed. I pray to God that I can give back as much as I've gained.