Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

It’s Thanksgiving Day in Canada and though my family never really celebrated (our meal was usually khichdi as we’d treat this weekend as not much more than a three-day long weekend and usually needed some Indian comfort food by the end of it), I wanted to start celebrating when I made the move to Portland some four years ago. So I started my own tradition of inviting friends over for a potluck and eventually dubbing it, “CanIndian Thanksgiving”. (Can-Indian to reflect my roots, and the food that was served. Making a turkey intimidates me but pots of Paneer Makhani and Butter Chicken do not.) Unfortunately this year the feast is getting a slight delay because I’m trying a cleanse that overlapped with the holiday. Whoops!
Though I may not be hosting the feast on the actual day this year, it’s still a great day to give pause and reflect on my thoughts and give thanks.

There is so much that I am thankful for, I don’t even know where to begin, but here goes nothing:

• My (fairly) good health: yes I’ve been sick more frequently this year than ever before but my body’s still working (most of the time). Working on eliminating the brackets here…
• My job: I work for a great company, with great people, and I have fun. Coincidentally, Friday was my 4-year Intel-versary! And can’t forget that my job allows me to have a roof over my head, food in my stomach, clothes on my body–it allows me to provide for myself, the basics, and then some. Which brings me to…
• The opportunity and ability to travel: five international trips this year! The travel bug bit me hard!
• The ups and the downs this year (and every year) have brought me. Every laugh, every conversation, every tear, and every encounter teaches me something. It might not be a lesson I wanted to learn, but I’m grateful.
• I give thanks for the people in my life, those who surround me, near and far, those who may have made their exit and those who have just entered. You’ll never know how deeply you impact me. Whether it’s a random comment from an acquaintance or an in-depth conversation with a stranger-turned-friend, a daily message/conversation with friends who are  more like family or facing challenges and obstacles head on with someone new, every encounter leaves a mark, a lesson, a memory. Your support motivates me to keep going far past my perceived personal limits. Your friendship makes everything that much more fun. And your love, well that’s the icing on the cake and we all know how much I love my icing!

What are you thankful for?