Thankful Thursday: Thanksgiving Day Edition

So here I am feeling American, my colonial mentality whatever hahaha participating in the Americas’ thanksgiving celebration. Well, how I wish I could also have all those Black Friday coupons. I don’t think I would mind queuing for all those good stuff awaiting their purchase at significant price drops!!

Ok so anyway… It’s been weeks since I last posted a thankful Thursday post… Makikisabay na rin sa Thanksgiving Day. So what are some of the things am I thankful for this whole year?? 

I started 2013 with more of anxiety than excitement. I felt like I’m welcoming quarter-life crisis at its finest. I was also in a transition to a new job, and slightly affecting my career path, and veering really away from my dream job. But when anxiety strikes, the best thing to do is to turn to Him. And so I did. I participated in the five-day prayer and fasting at the beginning of the year. I lifted it all up to Him – my plans, my wants, my worries. Of course it wasn’t an instant ‘Uy okay na feeling ko di na ko anxious!’ But you know what? 2013 has been really amazing!

Thankful for my family, still intact! They all grew a year older healthily, my father entering the pension age. Thankful how God is keeping us safe and peaceful in our humble home amidst all the calamities. Same goes to all my relatives who may have been affected by the storms in Isabela, the strong earthquake in Bohol, and the super typhoon that hit eastern Visayas. They’re all alive and safe.

Luke and I celebrated our second anniversary. Two years into the relationship, approaching three, I appreciate the growing and the learning. I feel blessed how God’s working in me through him. Thankful that we’ve managed to triumph over the obstacles and learned from them. Thankful for the love, care, thoughtfulness, understanding and the enjoyment our relationship brings! Praying for more more more years!

As mentioned, 2013 is the beginning of a new role for a new company, which I prayed that will lead me to where I should be. I’m still here though but trusting God’s sovereignty, still praying that someday, I’ll be where I should be.

For the longest time, I felt like this is the year that my dreams are slowly unfolding into reality! Parang late bloomer lang. Joining the Wear My Design contest again, failing last year but winning this year paved way to believing in myself once again, and rekindled the spark that might have died out along the way. And thankful for friends, colleagues, officemates and some random people who believe in me and trusting me to design the clothes/gowns they’d be wearing. What a wonderful feeling. And with all these, it’s about time to maybe start having not just tiny steps; it’s about time for medium ones and into finally entering “it”. This is what makes me excited for the coming year too. I feel like it’s God’s way of saying, ayan na yung sagot sa matagal mo nang dinadasal. I should now make the relevant steps to moving forward and making use of this God-given talent. I am SUPER THANKFUL for winning that design contest, SOOOO THANKFUL. It’s like the highlight of my 2013.

Dada and I finally revived our passion for that same thing and revived our business. Thankful that we got the chance to participate in a market, got some clients. But we have a long way to go.

Super thankful that after four years of struggling with the legality of my name, MERIE, FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY I am legally MERIE and not recognized as MARIE!!! Imagine the wasted money for Singapore and Hong Kong airfares and supposed-to-be Malaysia trip with friends, and a wasted itinerary planning/booking for South Korea (with fellow fans from other countries), and not to mention all those effort! Thankful that they realized that it’s not my fault that my NSO had a typographical error. And because of this, after four years of going back and forth DFA and Cavite Civil Registry office (thank you so much Papa for all the effort!!!), MAY PASSPORT NA AKO!!!!! Kaya naman this year marks my finally travelling abroad at least once a year!! Thank You, Lord!!!

Thankful for a lot of eat-outs!! But it’s more than just that. It’s because of the people I dine with. I feel glad as well that I am able to still keep in touch with former colleagues, trainees, officemates, etc.. basta ang dami kong eat-out this year which only shows that God has blessed me with nice and thoughtful people. And then there are those people I got to meet for the first time like my new workmates, some of Luke’s friends, mga suki and all.

I may not have travelled locally as frequent as the past years, but SUPER THANKFUL that I finally set foot on a foreign land – HONG KONG! Haha! E kasi nga sa wakas may passport na 'ko! Super happy. Ang tagal kong hinintay tong pagkakataon na to! Best birthday gift evurrrrr!

Speaking of birthday, I just grew a year older and definitely wiser. Taun-taon na lang wiser ako?? Haha! But it’s true and it’s only through the experiences during the past year which God allowed me to go through. I feel more blessed each year that passes by – with people, with enriching moments, with worthwhile “waiting”, simply with life God has given me.

I must say that this year is all about my self-acceptance. I just needed this year to happen. I feel so blessed, so grateful that I can finally say THANK YOU LORD for creating this life for me. Ang galing lang ni Lord looking back, if you put together all those broken pieces of the different happenings in my life just for the past year, it formed a beautiful year for a wonderful and unique creation of God named Merie. That’s me.

There are FAR SO MANY THINGS to mention to be grateful for than what are already listed here. Each day do not just pass us by – it comes with blessings in many forms that oftentimes we are too occupied, too worried, too negative to see.

I love You, Lord. And THANK YOU!!!!