I got the most ridiculous letter in the mail on Monday. The author was a doctor whose care I came under last summer (2008, to be clear). She said she hoped the letter found me well. She informed me that due to 60 days of inactivity, she was closing my file. At first I was dismissive, ridiculing the correspondence because I’d actually been inactive for over 6 months and the bitch was LATE. But, the more I made fun of it, the more I thought about what it meant. My file was closed. It was CLOSED. And that stupid piece of paper morphed into a certificate of accomplishment. This morning I dug out my emergency stash of medication and threw it all away.

Thanksgiving. That’s today. We’re excited about it. That’s the royal “we”, man. A lot of people aren’t, though. There’s a certain dread a lot of folks feel around the holidays. I know because I talk to a lot of people and most of them have horror stories ready for the sharing. On the surface, folks spin yarns to entertain, but it’s all deeply rooted in emotions and personal truths. We laugh, wave a hand and utter cheerful exclamations. Then we sigh and think while we sip our beverage, waiting for someone else to tell a chuckler. And we’ve all got ‘em. But that’s not the important part of this paragraph. The important part is the thinking.

In between the stories and the laughs I’ll think about that letter; about the journey to which that letter vaguely refers, and to the ending that it signifies. And I will be thankful for it, among many, many other things.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

I am still in a food coma after an amazing Thanksgiving at the Friedle’s house. Since none of us had family in town, Jed and I, Jacqui and John, Brittany and Jacob went to Christina and Ben’s house to celebrate the occasion together. Add in the bonus of a birthday celebration (Happy Birthday, Darra!) with cake furnished by Darek and it was a Thanksgiving unlike any other I’ve had.

When Christina and I sat down with our plates, we shared a thought on what we’re thankful for this year. It got me thinking: How lucky am I that there are SO many things for me to choose from!

• I have a fantastic new job waiting for me in 2009.
• Obama got elected, thus my faith in America! has been restored.
• This past summer I had a unique opportunity: For three weeks, I was simply Nyco Fuentes Herzog the daughter and sister. Never in my life will that happen again.
• I got to hang out with Pawly for almost the entire month before her death.
• I’ve overcome a lot of adversity in 2008. For that I’m stronger.
• Jed and I have never been happier.
• My two remaining baby teeth are still firmly in their sockets.
• We’ve made some great memories. Check the Photos page to see what I mean.
• My friends are amazing people who make me laugh. Really hard.

Here’s an example:

Yeah, that’s me laughing. I laugh all the time now. That, I think, is the greatest reason for me to give thanks this year: 2008 will go down in history as the year I found myself. Thank you, everyone, for indulging me as I muddled through.

Now, care to share what you’re thankful for?