Thankfulness...

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A few months back I was at an event. It was lovely. The dopest aspects of the evening were the activities woven throughout the night. One activity concentrated on "thankfulness".

The coordinator had us to write out what we were thankful for AND in turn, what "thankfulness" meant to us. It got me to thinking about my style of living, the folks in my life, and the way I'm able to navigate through it.

I was able to narrow down three pieces of my life that have been instrumental in my growth as a woman. Here are my three thankfuls:

I AM THANKFUL FOR...

1) My daughter. My daughter comes with a responsibility to check and change myself for the sake of making her a wonderful human; and for the sake of a having healthy relationship with her.

2) Mothers. These are all of the seasoned women who allow me to glean from their plenty. They are not all blood-related, but they've allowed me to sit at their feet and soak up the wisdom that comes with the gray and silver in their tresses. I am grateful for the older women in my life. They all make such a difference.

3) Sisters. These are not blood-related, but are sister-friends. These women have prayed with me, been honest with me 😳, and have allowed themselves to be open with me. They've shown me their vulnerabilities, challenged me to show them mine, and they have tasked me to take them as they are.

WHAT THANKFULNESS MEANS TO ME...

"Thankfulness" is what I feel when I step out of my comfort zone and enjoy the lavish freedom of being unattached to familiar habits, excuses, and fears.

I praise God for freedom, to be imperfect, to be flaw-filled, to be uncomfortable, and to be uncovered. Raw. When I can't hide behind the gates and doors that I usually lock because I am afraid of people to see my ugly. 

This is freedom and for this freedom I am: thanking, thank-full, full of thanks. And this is "thankfulness".

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