When I asked this incredible writer if she would consider being a guest poster here today … she emailed back immediately. Her response, “I would be honored”.
And that is how she lives her life.
With grace, compassion, integrity and a really snarky, sometimes dirty sense of humor.
Today I bring you Anissa Mayhew - and the honor is all mine!
are you as thankful as you should be?
Over the years I’ve been thankful for silly things: good salsa, one last roll of toilet paper and a straight flush.
I’ve been thankful for important things like: opportunities to see friends that we haven’t seen in too long, getting to be in the ocean again and computer screens that are big enough to actually see.
Then I’ve been thankful for life-changing things that you can barely comprehend: my 7yo being alive after three years battling cancer, having the chance to see my family again after the doctors said the strokes would take my life….that straight flush WAS A BIG DEAL.
When I was asked to write about Thanksgiving I was really happy this wasn’t a foodie site.
I might not be the best person to talk about pumpkin pie, but I’m REALLY good at telling people to be thankful.
BE THANKFUL
That was so easy.
Be thankful. Be happy. Be at peace. Be honest. Be liberated.
It really IS that easy to be insanely thankful for things most people wouldn’t choose to be appreciative about.
When you strip away all the crap you hide behind, the facade you wear to make others happy and dig down to your core it’s easy to find that part of yourself that WANTS to be happy.
You do.
You WANT to be happy.
When you’re happy, you inherently make those around you happy without trying.
The same thing happens with thankfulness.
Make YOU thankful so you can make others genuinely and honestly thanful.
Let this be the year that Thanksgiving isn’t about sweet potatoes and turkey. Washing dishes and traditions.
Be thankful instead.
Thank you so much for being here today, you are an inspiration to all that meet you …
(especially when you said, you jumped out of a plane and your parachute didn’t open.)
Anissa Mayhew, Founder, Publisher and Lead Editor of Aiming Low
Publisher of the satirical online publication of Insert Eyeroll
Her personal blog is #FreeAnissa
Please take a moment and vote today
By Word of Mouth Musings was nominated for Favorite Homeschool Mom Awards
and my 13 yr old daughter was nominated too
Wise Words by Wiki nominated for Best Teen Blog
So very proud of her! Your vote would be so very appreciated, no registration, just a click!
[...] LTYM Announces 2012 Ten City Line-Up!!THIS AND THAT#FreeAnissa via By Word of Mouth Blogging: ThankfulBy Any Other Name via Sluiter Nation: Word ProblemsOld Tweener: Table For TwoFrelle via Just. Be. [...]
It’s very easy to become ungrateful instead of thankful! Must remind myself daily of the truly important things…
Wow. This is so very powerful. And exactly what I needed to read today. Thank you.
Hello gorgeous, love when the timing is good! Virtual hug needed? <3
I love posts about being thankful. It is such a simple act that people take for granted, but it can really uplift your spirit.
A few months ago I did a post about a friend who inspired others to give thanks.
http://ichoosehappynow.com/2011/07/18/cup-of-joy/happiness-is-saying-what-you-are-thankful-for/
Cheers,
Louise
Just coming back from Africa and Thailand, I, too, am thankful for the simple things: like toilets that flush and toilet paper!!! Thank you for stopping by my blog so I could meet you. From: one x african to another!
Anissa is fabulous!
wow you have a lot to be thankful for!! thanks for sharing your post!
What a good reminder to think about the good things and not get weighed down by all the trivial nit-picky annoyances in our lives. Wonderful!
Great message. Just be thankful.
Fabulous philosophy and I couldn’t agree more with almost everything she said.
Except for the part where “one last roll of toilet paper” is a silly thing to be thankful for.
Around here? It’s cause for celebration.
Probably.
p.s. Loved it. Great guest post, Nicole.
I’m completely thankful for Anissa’s dirty sense of humor, but also thankful for the reminder to be thankful. So thanks.
[...] I wrote about being thankful over at Nicole’s site [...]
Anissa says it all so well and is just so good at being thankful for what she has and reminding me regularly of all that I have.
I am also totally on board with being thankful instead of cooking turkey. She gave me a hall pass on that right?
I know, I am pretty tickled that she is here today!
Yes, I would say that you are off the hook as far as the bird
No, it was MY honor! xoxox
No, it was mine … we could do this all day
But instead I will tell you that I am thankful one more time, and then go and eat pie.
Lovely post. And true. Nothing else could be added because everything was already said…
Thank you for reading today – what a great post! We always need reminders or reality checks to keep us in check.