Butterflies

My grandmother had the most amazing garden in her backyard - a beautiful reward for the hours she spent tending it. As a kid one of the best rewards for me was the butterflies that would flock to her oasis.

I would stand in the yard for hours, standing still like a statue with my hand out willing these butterflies to land on my hand for a close-up look. Often times they would. To this day it amazes my parents how an 8 year-old child could have such focus.

When my grandmother died and I flew back home for her funeral, I took a stroll through her backyard, not quite the oasis it was, but still lovingly cared for by my mom who had taken care of my sick grandmomther for years. No longer a child, but a grown woman stood in the same spots from 15 years before. As I walked through the garden, reminiscing on the memories, I thought about the butterflies. I stopped in my favorite spot where the tulips once grew. Thinking about how much I loved those tulips and how much I loved my grandmother, the most amazing thing happened.

A monarch butterfly landed on my hand. A gift from my grandmother to let me know that everything was, and would be, o.k. The kindest farewell to say she loved me too.

Today is the anniversary of my grandmother's death, and even though I haven't been grazed by a butterfly since, I know she is smiling down on me.

Things to be Thankful For

Since it is the day of giving thanks, here is my list of things that I am thankful for:

• God - While I (try to) give thanks to Him every day, I'll start off by saying I'm thankful to God for giving me such an amazing life and filling it with great challenges and blessings. Everything I have, or have done, is because of the gifts he has given me.

• Boston - and I mean the boyfriend here. Ever since he walked into my life eight months ago, I've been thankful for the gifts he has given me, the wisdom he has shared with me, and the willingness to let me into his heart. He is sweet and kind, and loves me even with my obvious shortcomings. He has opened up his life to me, and given me the courage to leap into the new adventure I'm about to take. He has opened up a new world to me, both intellectually and spiritually; he has renewed my faith in God -and man- and I will always be thankful for that.

• Family - They are my foundation. Coming from the self-proclaimed "most functionally dysfunctional" family isn't an easy thing, but my family has given me the tools necessary to grow into a reasonably healthy functioning member of society. They've supported all my decisions in life, and make sure to tell me all the time how proud they are of me, even when it means that I'm moving halfway across the country from them.

• Friends - They are the ones who tolerate my absence from their lives on account of school and support me. They are the ones who ask if they can attend my graduation... and everyone knows how boring those are. They are excited about the next journey in my life, even though it means leaving them behind. They have comforted me in troubled times, and support me as much as my family. In reality, they are my family too.

• Work - I am thankful that my current job and colleagues have provided me with the tools to make a contribution to the field of public relations, and to take that next step in my career. I am thankful that Moroch showed me what a real work culture looked like, and that you can absolutely have fun while working your ass off. Finally, I am thankful for Emily V., the most amazing boss I've ever encountered. Never does she have a bad word to say about anyone, and it will hurt the most to say goodbye to her. She has shown me where you can go with hard work, and it is her work ethic that I hope to channel in my new job. She has served as a mentor to me for almost two years now, and I know that she will continue to serve as a mentor when I move into my new job.

I know there are a thousand other things I am thankful for, and rightly so, but these are the high, fast ones. I love everything about my life - where I've come from, what I've become, and the possibilities of what I will grow into. So on this day of Thanksgiving, I realize I have so much to be thankful for.