so it's thanksgiving morning. i'm holed up on the couch in a t-shirt i haven't rocked since the age of 15, probably, drinking coffee and watching buzz lightyear and snoopy float by serenely back in the city i narrowly escaped from yesterday.
it's thanksgiving!
and as such, i suppose i should discuss what it is that i'm thankful for.
after i listen to cheyanne jackson sing.
i am thankful for..
- my family. obviously. but as a get older, i realize how incredibly fortunate i am to have grown up smothered with love by both sides of my big, loud, family. the big thanksgivings of my childhood are a distant memory now, preserved only in grainy early-90's home movies, with my grandma's face too close to the camera yelling something about more turkey and my uncle steve flipping off my dad behind the camera. the big christmases when i got to hand out presents and gorge myself on my nana's special manicotti, are so far from me. but i will never forget them. they've made me who i am, giving me an appreciation for family, and the security of such a giant network of people behind me always. and emily, of course. my little emily. she has taught me more than anyone about love, patience, and unrelenting compassion.
- my childhood friends. my new friends. my second family. the people i meet and interact with every day, be they great or small presences in my life. they change me, they affect me, they make me who i am. so thank you. to 6B, to pipeline, from california to saratoga, boston to brooklyn. i love you.
- seth. my seth. the hilarious, kind, giving, loving person i've saddled myself with for a solid year and a half. he has made me whole, and constantly supported and encouraged me. i could not have survived this year without him, and my fears for the future are quelled knowing that i will be facing it alongside him. so thanks, seth. for making me dinner, learning about our forefathers, coaching me, taking stupid pictures with me, drinking with me, and sometimes pushing me a little beyond my comfort zone.
- theatre. of course. who i would i be without it? what would i talk about, think about, write about? what would i have had to hold on to as a child with big teeth and a box full of dress-up clothes? what would my college career have been without the study of it? so i am thankful for my home away from home, be it in the form of a playscript, cramped studio, or a wide open stage.
- sweet things. cupcakes, ice cream, brownies, cookies. i could list forever the confections that i have been a faithful follower of since infancy, but everybody knows i'm a die-hard desserter.
- home. peterborough. new york city. the notion that i always have a home to go back to, surrounded by people i love. be it my cozy little peach-colored bedroom with a window overlooking the driveway covered in leaves and the basketball hoop not used since 5th grade.. or my little nook, plastered in pictures, with a fire escape and a window that looks out over 19th street, the bit of the skyline i'm privvy to, and the nasty pig mens' boutique.
- dlisted, facebook, the new york times, apple trailers, time out new york, new york magazine, and my blog. for keeping me up-to-date, informed, and hip to what's going on around me. i'm not afraid of getting lost.
- words words words. i am thankful for all the books i have had the pleasure of reading, and those i have yet to read. i am thankful for all of the beautiful lyrics that people like joni mitchell, regina spektor, bob dylan, and stephen sondheim have penned for my little brain to mull over and fall in love with. i am thankful for all of the poets, all of the writers, all of the speakers, and all of the singers that keep me floating and aware of the fact that i'm not alone in all of this.
that's it. i am thankful for so many other things. those moments in which i feel like a kid again. new york city. higher education. musicals. my record player. 'the office.' the fact that you can get anything delivered at any time of day. mass transit. my jobs. skirball. mojitos. coffee. bacon & eggs. dark chocolate. my closet. the fact that i had beaumont for 10 long years. nature.
i could go on forever. suffice it to say i am thankful for my LIFE. and that is what today is all about.
we can only said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. - thornton wilder
GOSH! I love reading these. Of course, I haven't seen the actual physical YOU since our meeting prior to your journalism walk. Hang out with me. I love spending time with you and we never ever do. I know London was a very long time ago and that things have changed since we returned, but you really are one person I always feel like I can talk to about anything, and I miss being able to do that day after day. I guess what I'm saying is, "HEY! YOU! Wonderful person who means so much to me! Call me. And when you return from Peterborough, find me. Let's have coffee, or an adventure or spend 5 minutes chatting in front of Tisch. Whatever."
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