I’m not normally big on the forced gratitude thing, but as I sit here, full of apple pie, ham and cheesy potatoes, you can’t help but at least be grateful for apples and cinnamon.

So, in the spirit of this weekend, I’m going to humour the Hallmark gods and list a few things that I’m grateful for today.

1. Where I live.

Because I have been living on my own for 2 months with no natural disasters, broken bones, missing fingers or death by starvation.

I think we can call that a win.

It still boggles my mind that I’m here, 1800 kms away from where I grew up, living in my own apartment, paying my bills, eating food and painting away. Seriously – blows my mind. I was never supposed to do this.

So take that doctors and naysaysers of the world. Take that.

2. I’m painting again!

After a year of the most painful art making of my life, I’m back on track and loving every single second. Creativity has become the most gleeful process and I’m getting better every day. The pieces that I’m finishing, even the awful ones, are still things that I love and treasure.

I love life.

3. A boyfriend who elbow greases the kitchen for me when I’m at work.

I had to work 3 days on the run because a coworker was sick, and I was freaking exhausted. I stumbled home to an empty apartment, knowing that I’d find dishes and a dirty kitchen waiting for me that I just hadn’t had the time or energy to deal with.

I came home to a sparkling kitchen, reorganized for total efficiency and a teacup waiting so I could make a cup of tea as soon as I came in the door.

*Swoon*

I love him so much.

4. Life. Me. The stuff that makes up my life. The blessings I’ve had.

This is a cheesy one, I know. And I apologize for the record high cheese levels I just hit.

But even on the days when I feel stuck, down in the dumps, frustrated, sick and tired, a part of me knows that for a lot of people looking in, I live this charmed life.

I have a boyfriend I love, I’m doing work I love, I’m slender and relatively attractive, I’m living where I want, doing what I want, and have absolutely not a single regret about my life.

That’s more than most people get in a lifetime. So I’m grateful to me for taking the risks to create this life and I’m grateful to the Universe (or whatever you’d like to call it) for helping me out and blessing me with a good head, some skill and the determination to put it to use.

Let’s hope I continue to do so.

Cheers to you all on this sunny, crisp Canadian Thanksgiving Monday.