30 Days of Thanks: November 30

This past month has brought a lot of different things into my life, and even if I have not written daily here my gratitude and thankfulness I have worked into a mindset of being thankful each night before I fall asleep. Finding gratitude helps cultivate joy, which, on nights such as tonight, are important. Today I find myself thankful for the old friendships, the new friendships, family, and the community that I am creating. I am thankful for the small returns to normalcy including a Thanksgiving race and Thanksgiving dinner with extended family.

Mostly tonight I find myself thankful for a lesson I didn't want. A lesson in trust and expectations was taught, a simple reminder that my path is different than the rest. A lesson in trusting the process and accepting what is and will not be. It was a reminder that I had been praying for peaceful acceptance of the opposite of the expectation of tonight, thus I should not be surprised at the outcome, or lack thereof. I know I'm being extraordinarily vague in the lesson and situation, yet I am sure you all can relate to the experience of praying for one thing, expecting something different, and still finding yourself upset by the situation when it aligns more with the prayers than the expectation. A lesson that will carry well into the holiday season. Thank you for the gift.

30 Days of Thanks: November 24

Today I was part of history. Today I made history.

Today the American Perimeter Trail Conference launched our membership platform. We have moved from a project to a non-profit to a membership-based non-profit in under 2 years. It has been an incredible journey. So much more incredible because of the passion and drive and LOVE that Rue and I have poured into it. There has been so much love, so many tears, blood and sweat from him, and to be truthful there have been fights and incredibly rough moments that had us both wrecked beyond belief, but our passion has pulled at us. It has pulled us apart and drawn us back together to keep at this.

I'm thankful for the effort he has put in, the passion, drive and desire to keep this moving. I'm thankful for my own passion, dedication, and drive to keep this moving. I'm thankful for the community that we have built; for the love they have shown us, for the continual support, and for the family that we all have created out of this.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to present the American Perimeter Trail to the public. It's been a process of putting our hearts on display every day, putting our faith in strangers, and trusting that this what we are supposed to be doing. Today we made history in launching the membership; I made history in becoming a member. I am so proud of what we have done, what we will continue to do, and so thankful for the opportunity. I am thankful for the opportunity to show my children what it means to chase down dreams and turn them into something. To show them how achieving a dream is not a solitary journey, but that of a community. I give thanks for the APT, for the community, for the chance to be a part of history and make history.

30 Days of Thanks: November 23

Today I'm simply thankful for joy. I have been finding more joy in the moments of my days, and find myself smiling randomly for no reason other than just because. It's in these moments that I have come to realize that I am filled with joy and often peace. Today during my yoga practice I was working through a more challenging pose and out came a small smile, joy at the work, the dedication, and strength I have found in practicing yoga. 

We often speak of love, of grace, of peace, yet we speak so rarely of joy. Joy is not happiness; joy is more intricate and complex than happiness. Joy radiates in ways that happiness does not. When you have observed someone glowing and radiating I believe that they are exhibiting joy more often than happiness. While I cannot fully describe joy, I feel light and radiant from the inside out. To me joy is the light and happiness that are internal and then radiate outward. I am thankful that there is more joy in my life, more random smiles, and more light. I wish you all more joy in your lives.