Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. - Melody Beattie
Today, I walked an hour to the home of a family I've never met before, and sat down to feast with them. Crackers, spinach dip, cheeses, turkey, mash potatoes, stuffed mushrooms, turkey stuffing, key lime pie, pumpkin pie, fruits, and coffee. I'm pretty sure I missed out many more. It's ridiculous, but ridiculously good! Oh, and the family was really nice and warm too. No seriously, I'm glad I was matched to this home. =)

It was in truth a lonely day for me.
No family.
No one from Malaysia.
Roommate left for home.
Friends on holiday or at their own Thanksgiving plans.
The whole campus is like a ghost town.

But I'm thankful.

Encouraged by two articles from Boundless, Thanks for Nothing and The Best Way to Live, I choose to be grateful.

For God's faithfulness, grace and love.
For my family's unfailing love.
For my baby brother on the way!
For everyone who's not here today but has been there for me every other day.
For the family who welcomed me into their home for the day.
For being denied the good because the best is on the way.
For not having everything that I can be grateful for what I do have.

No matter that the origin of today's festival is less than noble, it's still good to take time to be grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving! =)