Thanksgivin'

Today is Thanksgiving, the day where, as mentioned in the last post, we spend the day giving thanks for everything that we've been given.  Generally for me, Thanksgiving has been a repeat holiday for me with not much significance.  You give thanks for everything you've got, and then pig out.  Every year it was the same. Family, friends, and food.  I really didn't feel like I had anything special to give thanks for.

This year was different.  It has been an absolutely crazy year, with lots of problems and depressing times, but lots of amazing things to go with it.  This year, for the first time, I really felt like I actually had a lot to specifically give thanks for.  People, specifically.  Here, I will give thanks for all of you wonderful people in my life.

1. Game Night Group

You guys are hilarious.  I have many different social groups, but NONE of them get as crazy, as socially awkward, or as absolutely funny as this group.  Not one of us has a bit of sanity in us, and none of us want it either.  Every time I see you guys is filled with laughter, laughter, and some more laughter.  Also, there is no other social group I have where everyone is so different.  Every single person in the group has a HUGE personality difference from the rest, besides the fact that we're all crazy.  And yet, despite that, we all get along like best friends, and just simply have a good time.  Thank you for bringing such joy to my evenings, and making board games enjoyable to me like never before.

2. Diamond Springs/DS Group

We became known as the DS group because every time we would meet, we would all end up playing video games together.  Once, I was ashamed of that fact, and felt like a complete nerd.  But now, I no longer feel that way.  Now that we're older, work and school have taken huge priority, and the world doesn't seem to want us to have just pure fun anymore.  This group stands in the way of that.  When we meet, we don't have religious discussions, we don't have personal discussions, and we don't talk about our lives.  We just sit down and have a good time.  Now hanging out with you guys and just playing video games has become something I look forward to every week, where we just sit down and have fun, without any worries or care about the outside world.  Thank you for bringing enormous amounts of fun into my life.

3. Church Group

I've hung out with you guys all of my life, and I don't regret any of it.  You guys took me in and enjoyed my company despite the fact that I was an antisocial dork, and could never seem to be interested in your conversations.  You all care for me deeply, and although I don't feel like I deserve it, I thank you for giving it too me anyways.

4. School Group (Katrina, Monica)

While I haven't seen either of you since last year, and our time together was brief, you both deserve a place here.  You took the time to listen to my shenanigans, and to make sure I was feeling happy, and that, in my book, makes you deserve my service of protection.  Thank you for spending time with me.

5. Clayton Group (Jesse, Kaitlyn)

While I haven't been able to get to know either of you really well yet, I have been able to figure out that both of you are awesome. Jesse, you are just plain awesome, thank you for being so awesome, and I look forward to getting to know you and your awesomeness more.  Kaitlyn, you have my complete approval to be with Clayton, and I look forward to getting to you better as well.  Look after my bro, okay?

6. Rob and Laura

Out of all the people in my life, few people have made such a drastic impact in my life as you two.  Rob, you've always been my role model.  You were always calm, happy, and took me in without any negative reaction.  You always looked out for me, and never turned down my requests to hang out with you unless you had a logical reason.  You did your best to make sure I was happy, even sometimes using your own money to do so.  And Laura, when you married Rob, you did the same.  You cared deeply for me, and was always willing to listen.  Thank you, you both are absolutely amazing.

7. My family

My family is unbelievable awesome, and there are too many of you to list.  You all have stuck with me through my life, supported me, and made sure that I went down the right paths.  While I may seem to drift away from you guys through work, friends, and school, I still love you all.  I couldn't have asked for a better family then the one I was given.  Thank you for being the greatest family a boy could ever hope to have.

8.  Brandon

Yes my friend, you deserve a spot to yourself.  We both met each other though similar circumstances, with both of us being thrown out because we were different.  And as time went along, we found more and more in common, and eventually became amazing friends.  But what's unique about you is both your brilliance and your bluntness.  You never hesitated to tell me when I was doing something wrong, and taught me more than most I know have.  No one has influenced my strategic and logical approach to things more than you.  You taught me to think things through, and to double check afterwards.  And that's not all either.  It was through you that I got to meet all of the awesome people at the game nights, and it was through you that I learned that board games could still be really fun and challenging.  Thank you, and I hope that as time goes on, that I will learn much more from you.

9. Alex

Alex, you deserve a spot up here as well.  You came into my life during the hard bullying years, and made my life fun.  Most didn't like you because you were imaginative, loved having fun, and really didn't like to work.  While for most, that would be a bad thing, but for me, I needed it.  I needed someone to just have fun with, someone to create stories with and use my imagination, and you were that someone.  You were part of what created my passion for video games, and part of what kept my love for creating things going.  While many may think you're not worth much, in my eyes, you're a brilliant kid with much potential.  Thank you for making my life fun.

10.  Clayton

Clayton, my man, it's been a long time, hasn't it?  From spies, to warriors, to policemen, to defenders...we've done it all.  You, the courageous and strong one, me, the calm and smart one.  Both of us were (and still are) stubborn beyond belief, with a will to never give up.  Not just best friends, but the greatest of rivals.  In video games, imaginative skill, card games, video games, girls, EVERYTHING.  One of our greatest goals was to be better than the other in every way possible, and that still is somewhat how it is today.  And yet despite being rivals, we also watched each other's back as well.  You pushed me on socially and helped me gain a voice, while I calmed you down and kept you from rushing into things.  Together we were unstoppable...NOTHING could stand in our way.  We've been best buds for over 5 years now, and not much has changed.  We're still rivals, we're still best friends, and we're still just as awesome together.  Thank you for keeping me going socially, for always supporting me, and for trusting me enough to let me help in almost every circumstance.  I look forward to what we will accomplish in the future.

11.  Lauren

I apologize for using your name again, but I at least want it up here for tonight, because your real name deserves to be on here.  We've only known each other for a short time, and already we've impacted each other in huge ways.  You are a truly special woman, Lauren.  You have an amazing love for God, are quite the bright person, and are absolutely beautiful.  And yet you took the time to get to know me.  And you didn't just get to know me...you broke records.  NO woman has ever took so much of her time to know me.  NO woman has cared so much about me that she will not allow me to say bad things about myself.  NO woman has always told me to have a good day in the mornings.  And not just that...out of ALL of the amazing guys in the world, out of every possible option, you chose me.  Meeting you wasn't just an amazing experience...I feel much happier than I've felt in such a long time.  There is no possible way I could ever thank you enough.  The most I can offer is what I've offered everyone else that has taken the time to acknowledge me existence...my sword.  Simply call upon me, and your will WILL be done.  I will guard you through every hardship, and I will NEVER leave your side.  I look forward to getting to know you more, to what fun we will have in the future, and to showing just how amazingly awesome you are to all of my other amazing friends.   Thank you.

12.  God

There really isn't a limit to what I could say about you, my father and friend.  You've stuck with me through it all, and shown me to all of these amazing people.  You've shown me miracles, given me my personality, and given me a caring heart, a wild imagination, and everlasting hope that all will eventually be good.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you...