Lesson #78: I am thankful.

It's November 1st! ...Woah.

The month of November is a month dedicated to being thankful. (Really, we should always be thankful, but it's good to dedicate a whole month just to one topic).

Today, I am thankful for the wonderful, amazing, crazy, adorable, fun, incredible, and indescribable people in my life. Friends, family, teachers, famous people I don't even know, people I see everywhere that I don't know. I'm thankful for everyone! Whether you realize it or not, you create a relationship with every person you meet, even if it's only one encounter.

My friends are incredible. I don't know what I would do without them. I could go on and on naming those people but that would take up too much room. I have been blessed immensely with the friends God has put in my life. I know that if I needed any one of them, they'd be there for me in a heartbeat, and I'm do the same for them. I love them with all my heart!

My family. My family is INDESCRIBABLE. I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am for my family. My parents are the best, I know that I can go to them about any and everything at any time! They love me even though I mess up, and I know they always will. I have the most amazing big brother. He was always there for me when we were little, even though I was the annoying little sister. He always treated me like a big brother should and set a good example for me. He was my hero, and still is! I also have an awesome sister in law. I couldn't have asked for anyone better! She didn't see me as just her boyfriend's little sister. She saw me as a friend, and that meant a lot to me! So I approved, naturally. She's the best sister I could ever ask for! My grandparents, on both sides, are absolutely the best! They're each different in their own way and I love them so much! They set a good example and I really wish I could see them more often. My aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, fourth cousins, they're my favorite. I love them so much and I really wish I got to see them more! My whole family in general is amazing. I love them so much, and I feel incredibly blessed to be called a Hardcastle!

I have some pretty awesome teachers, not gonna lie. (And I'm not just saying that because my mom and dad are my teachers). My school is privileged to have some of the best people teaching us. My math teacher, Mrs. McConnell, is an amazing woman. She's like my school-mom. (Even though my mom is a teacher...). I can talk to her about anything and I love her to death! Mrs. Baker, oh I love her! And her children! That whole family is amazing. Mrs. Baker and Rosie bring such a light to our fine arts classes. They make it so much fun! Mrs. Robbins, well, she's just incredibly awesome. You can ask anyone, and they'll agree. Not every teacher keeps an axe and a sword on her wall. Granted, they're plastic, but still cool. And Mrs. Gilbreth. I know we all say we don't like what she gives us now, but I know we'll be thanking her later in college when we're the only ones who know how to write a research paper! I love those people, and I'm so glad they're teaching me.

Sooooo I know it's weird to be thankful for famous people I don't even know, but really, it's not weird at all actually. People like Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, Christopher Columbus, Michael Jackson, and Steve Jobs are good examples. They all changed the world in some way or another. Ghandi promoted love and peace, as well as Mother Theresa. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr stood up for what they believed in, and will be remembered for it. Christopher Columbus helped discover America! Michael Jackson changed pop music forever, and will ALWAYS be remembered, even if he was a little weird... He was still incredibly talented. And Steve Jobs, the co-creator of Apple, created some pretty advanced technology that has helped the way people communicate and convey things to the world. Without these people, our world would look completely different.

Then there's those people you see everywhere, but you have no idea who they are. There's an elderly man who walks his dog around the Lunsford Trail at ACU every single night. I go running every night and I see him! Well it's been about a year since I first saw him, and now every time I see him, he says hi and encourages me. He tells me I'm doing great and to keep going. He may not realize what that really means to me for him to encourage me and motivate me to keep going. I don't know his name, or his story, and he doesn't know mine, but yet we have this relationship that I'm thankful for. I hate running sometimes, on those really windy or scolding hot days, but he comes around the corner just at the right time and tells me to keep going. And you know what? I keep going! It's the little things in life that really mean the most.

So take time today to remember those special people in your life that God has blessed you with. Make sure you thank God for those people, because He puts them there for a reason. We are all blessed with the relationships we have.

To whoever is reading this, I thank God for you. I thank God for the relationship we have and what a blessing you have been in my life. If I've never met you, well, I'm still thankful for you. :)