On Thanksgiving, I like to slow down and take a real look at my life — not through the lens of everything that’s happened, but through the lens of everything I have. Gratitude feels richer when it’s rooted in the present, and right now my life is full of things worth appreciating.

I’m grateful for my family — my mom, brother and kids, who keep my world bright and unpredictable in the best ways. They’ve helped shape who I am, not through hardship, but through all the laughter, the lessons, the inside jokes, and the fierce kind of love that only grows in a home like ours. I’m grateful for my friends, too — the ones who show up with honesty, humor, and support, who make the ordinary days better just by being part of them.

I’m grateful for my home, the warmth it holds, and the sense of safety it gives me. I’m grateful for food in the kitchen, for comfort, for the little moments — the ones people tend to overlook — that quietly make life feel full. None of it feels small; it all feels important in a way that’s easy to forget until you stop and really take it in.

And I’m grateful for the person I’m becoming. Not because of what I’ve endured, but because of how I’ve chosen to live: with openness, honesty, and a willingness to keep growing. Gratitude, for me, isn’t about looking backward. It’s about recognizing the good that’s right here, right now, and letting it matter.

So this Thanksgiving, my heart is full — not from nostalgia or struggle, but from the people I love, the space I’ve created, and the life I’m actively building. It’s a warm, steady kind of gratitude, and it feels exactly right.