giving thanks

Today I decided to sit down and take a moment to remember some of things I am thankful for.

I am thankful for my friend Lauren Gagatek. When I moved to Kamloops, I left my Edmonton music family behind. We are so blessed in Edmonton to have talent come through our city as regularly as it does and it pains me that so many of us take it for granted. When I see people complaining about there being an “over abundance” of shows to attend I shake my head in disbelief. I would rather have the option of a thousand different events at a thousand different venues than have no options at all. When I left Edmonton behind, I left that blessing behind as well.

Discovering that a classmate shared the same love for trance music that I did will go down as one of my favorite moments in the loops. Meeting Lauren and forming what I hope to be a life-long friendship stands distinctly in my heart as one of the first times I felt at home and happy in Kamloops.   

Whether it was sharing music in class or just talking about trance, she has made my heart smile on a regular basis. She has a beautiful ear for beautiful music and it all matches her beautiful heart. I couldn’t believe Lauren had never been to a rave before and was astounded that such a committed fan had never had the opportunity to dance to the music that she so passionately loved. When I heard Above & Beyond were playing in Vancouver, I knew she had to go and I had to go with her.

That night was one of the best nights of my year and to be able to share Lauren’s first group therapy experience was a moment I can’t even begin to describe with words.

I just needed her to know how thankful I am for her friendship and I hope for the rest of my days I never stop sharing music with her. She IS my trance family here in the ‘loops.

I am thankful for my new work shoes. Yes, you heard me right. I’ve been living a life of simple pleasures over the last nine months. I haven’t been able to spend a lot of money on myself and at times that has left me feeling deflated. It’s hard to work so hard and so often and not be able to spend the fruits of that labor on yourself directly. As that stands, I found it rather ironic that for awhile I couldn’t even afford to buy myself new shoes to wear to my job.

The soles were completely devastated and the insides felt like sandpaper on my feet. At the end of their sad and weathered existence, my shoes were nothing left but tattered pieces of suede and cardboard. At one point, my toe was even seen peeking out the front.

Having new shoes to wear to work has made my life just that much better. My feet are happier, making me happier and this ultimately makes those around me happier too. We can be grateful for all the big things in our lives, but it’s important to remember the small things as well, like your shoes.

I’m thankful for my friend Megan because in 5 days she’s getting in her car and driving ten hours to come pick me up and bring me home. To have a friend that selfless is beyond a blessing.

I am thankful for the girl that’s been sharing my morning commute with me for the last 9 months. Every day she gets on the bus and every day she makes me smile. She is the culmination of a thousand different, yet equally awesome elements. Her tie die t-shirt and lime green back pack are great. Her “I Love Reptiles” button and frog patch on her jacket are great too. But the best part about her is that every day when she gets on my bus she is grinning from ear to ear.  Although she might never know it, she has made my mornings brighter by simply smiling.

I’m thankful for music because every day with melody is a day worth living.

I am thankful for my friends and my family. I have the best people in my life and they should know it.

I am thankful for the mountains. Although sometimes they look like oversized hills here in Kamloops, I am going to sincerely miss the beautiful landscape that lies just outside my bedroom window. They are big, they are bad and they are beautiful.

There were days that, as I made my way to class, the sun teasingly peaked out behind those glorious rocks and I was left feeling instant contentment. I was blessed to live amongst such majestic creations and experience the daily reminder of how beautiful our planet is.

I am thankful, gracious and blessed. Whether it’s my new work kicks, beautiful tunes inside my ears, the stranger on the bus whose smile illuminates my mornings or the scenery that makes up my day-to-day, I am 100% thankful for it all.

Life’s short. We can spend most of it wishing we had a better phone, a sweeter car, a nicer house and better friends. Or we can take a second and be grateful for the big and small things in our lives that we already have. There is something to be said for meditating on the positive in your universe.

Thank you to all the people in my universe that make life good. You’re all a bunch of beauties.