The Thankful Stormtrooper, 2014 Edition

Getting harder and harder to find ones of these I haven't used before...

Here we are again, another Thanksgiving, another installment of the SSTAS traditional list of thanks. Yes, it needs a catchier name. No, I'm not thankful for your complaints (I'm also not thankful for mass text messages and the endless responses from people I don't know, but I digress). Anyway. This is the yearly post where I make mention of all the things I'm thankful for in my life as a way to show my gratitude and, dare I say it, love.

For the first time, this list will not be headed off by the ambrosia that is Jameson Irish Whiskey. No, the number one thing I'm grateful for this year is the love of my life, Marisa. Everything in my life has been better since she came along, and she's stood by me through some really dark times already in what has been, despite the dark times, the best year of my life because of her. She really is an amazing woman, and I'm happier with her than I ever thought possible. We've taken our relationship to the next level now as we're living together, and everything is just wonderful.

I'm grateful for the love of my grandmother, who I miss beyond words. I'm spending a quiet Thanksgiving alone today for a lot of reasons, but mostly because the idea of going to a party and celebrating without the woman who cooked every Thanksgiving turkey I've ever eaten doesn't feel right just yet. But I'm still immensely thankful for her memory and for her love and for all the things she imparted to me. I'm a better person because of her.

Now I'm thankful for the wonderful libation that is Jameson. Sheesh, that took awhile.

I'm thankful for my family. It's smaller now than it was before, but in some places there's a closeness there that was missing before. Old wounds are healing slowly, and that's always nice.

I'm grateful for my circle of friends, who are always there for me. In some ways it's smaller than it was before, but in other ways it's larger than ever. I love these people, even if I don't see them enough, especially now. It's nice to know with some bonds distance is meaningless.

As always, I'm thankful for writing. The writing of others in all means and mediums that I get to enjoy and my own writing as well. In the last six or seven months I've taken some strides in that regard; I'm still not getting paid for any of it, but it's being seen by more people than ever, and it's already led to another opportunity or two... still unpaid, though. I'd be really thankful if that could change!

That wraps my list up for now. If anyone would like to share what they've been thankful for, I'd love to read it. Let's talk about it and share our gratitude, folks!

God, that was corny. Forget I said that.

Happy Thanksgiving!