Happy Thanksgiving!!

I have been thinking a lot about what I wanted to say on this wonderful day, and no matter which way I looked at what I was ultimately thankful for, it always came down to one thing...people. I'm thankful for my family, friends, and everyone I have had an chance to come into contact with.

I have had the opportunity to work with a new hire at work who is from Japan and has only been in the US for a short time. Her English is coming along great but she is still very unsure of herself, as I'm sure I would be too, so I took every opportunity to celebrate every accomplishment. There were ups, downs, freak-outs (by patients & families), but also quite a few high-fives and smiles. I try to take the time to congratulate her and remind her that she is a smart person, and one time she said something along the lines that 'if I only knew.' So I said, "there are more than enough people in this world that will drag you down, don't be a part of it!" After a further explanation she said she will always remember that.

I am so thankful for chance I have to interact with the public, even when the outcome is less than desirable. Just this week I ran into a family whose baby I helped care for, and they remembered my name and were so excited to see me and interested in how I was doing.

I am so thankful for my calling at church and those AMAZING teenagers I have the chance to interact with every Sunday. We have such great conversations about applying the gospel to our everyday lives, and they can all recite my own personal mission statement: approach each situation with love.

But, when all is said and done, I am most grateful for my Eternal companion, Eric. He drives and motivates me to be the person I want to be. He is my best friend and confidant. He is my partner in crime...and I am a better person with him by my side.

I am a people person, and I want to thank everyone that reads my blog for letting me express myself and fulfill my innate desire to interact with people everywhere.

Happy Thanksgiving!