My sleep has been pretty messed up since last week.  I finally gave in and took a sleeping pill late this morning.  It’s been awhile since I’ve taken something, so it hit me pretty hard.  I’ve been really groggy since I woke up, and my limbs and my head feel disconnected from the rest of my body.  It’s a weird sensation.  It’s also coupled with intense fatigue.  I know I need to sleep more, and I will, because I need to wake up at early o’clock tomorrow anyway, but since tomorrow is going to be a very busy day and will probably only include a perfunctory “Happy Thanksgiving!,” I thought that I’d go ahead and post about all the things I’m thankful for today.

• Alice I initially wrote family, but I feel as if Alice is deserving of her own list.  She’s the newest addition, and I couldn’t be more thankful that she is.  I’m thankful for every moment I get to hear her sweet little voice over the phone.  I’m thankful for every picture.  I’m thankful for what she’s done for my beautiful sister.  I’m thankful for every milestone, every giggle, every coo and every scream.  Mostly, though, I’m thankful for her.
• Family I love them even when I don’t particularly like them. I am most especially thankful for my siblings and, in particular, the closeness which my sister and I have recently developed.  I’ve spent years praying for it, and I’m thankful for every day for the hurdles we’ve crossed and the distance we’ve come.  I am also thankful for my brother-in-law.  He’s also a new member of the family, and I’m looking forward to spending some time with him over Christmas.  He’s a pretty neat guy.  I think I’ll keep him.
• Friends I am grateful for all of my friends, as well as–and, in some ways, especially–those that I have met through my blog.  I still find myself amazed by the friendships that I manage to strike up through my insignificant space in cyberspace.  The love and support from friends help make the trials and ordeals I experience infinitely more tolerable.
• Jessica ‘Nough said.
• Sleep I have learned to cherish what I can get, when I can get it.  I often complain about the little I get, but knowing what it can be like with none at all, I’m thankful even for that small amount.  Of course, that doesn’t mean that I’ll stop complaining anytime in the near future… (kidding!, sort of)
• My thesis being submitted I don’t think this needs any elaboration.
• Having a roof over my head and food in my stomach Living in a city with such a high homeless population really makes you thankful for the small things, especially in this economy.  Things could be so much worse, but at the end of the night, I have everything and more that I absolutely need.
• My faith Sometimes I get distracted by all the little things, but at the end of the day, God is there patiently awaiting me.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout the years, it’s that no matter how many times I turn my back on God, whether it be for five hours, five days, five months or five years, God will always be waiting for me with His arms open.  Always.  That kind of constancy and love are the kind worth waking up in the morning for.

I kept the list short, because you are probably busy preparing for the holiday.  If you feel like sharing what you are thankful for, feel free.  Or, if you already made such a similar list on your blog, please feel free to drop me the link so I can take a look.  (I may have you on my feed reader, but I am majorly behind–WEEKS, actually–so unless you feel like having me comment a week or two from now when I’m finally caught up, posting a link would be good.)