Today, I am back home in Kentucky. After the art show Monday night, my mom, dad and boyfriend packed the car and drove the 5.5 hours back home after a 5.5 hour drive to St. Louis. 11 hour drive in one day! They are keepers.
The show was fantastic and there was a great turn out. 
A lot of people and a lot of beautiful art. I am thankful for everyone who shared that special moment with me. I will forever be thankful for the relationships I have made here at Fontbonne.
I am thankful for the teachers/education I have been lucky enough to have. I have learned so much and have been introduced to a lot more than I ever thought I would and the great thing is, that will never stop. I will always learn more and grow, and carry my knowledge with me into new situations.
I am thankful for my family for always supporting me and being ok that I moved states away to study art. They always tell me to try my best, and I do.
I am thankful for my roommate. I love her with all of my heart. I will miss her terribly when I graduate in a few weeks. I don’t know what I am going to do without all of my best friends. This means snuggling in bed with 4 of my best friends is a must at least 12 times a day.
I am thankful for my college life friends. These ladies have been with me since freshman year and I would never have wanted it any other way. I love them so much and thank them for always being with me. All of my memories are with them and my college life would have been totally different if it were not for them.
I am thankful for my body & my health. I am happy I have gone through college as an athlete and have not suffered serious injuries like I did in high school. I am thankful that I did not get deathly ill while away from home. Not once did I have the flu or its equivalent while in a dorm room and I am very thankful for that. I do think I am getting over bronchitis though, but stressing over the show and spending too many nights awake rather than sleeping will do that to you, but still, I am thankful.
I am thankful for the new relationships & new friends I have made. I am so terribly sad that I didn’t meet these people earlier in my college life, but I am so glad I did at all.
I am thankful for the bad. I am thankful for the good. I am thankful for the scary. I am thankful for the unknown. Without all of these things, I would not be who I am or where I am today, and I am thankful. 
Happy Thanksgiving from KY!
-Kelia
Tagged as:
Art Show,
Body and health,
Family roommate,
Friends,
new friends,
new relationships,
Teachers/ education,
Thankful,
Thanksgiving,
the good,
the scary,
the unknown
Maybe I truly am a child of the 1980′s but when I started thinking about what I was thankful for I started to hum Poison’s song, Something to Believe In. I couldn’t quite put my finger on why that came to my mind but I looked up the song lyrics and could see clearly why. The song speaks of an inner discontent that the writer has for family, friends, and those never truly met that seem to have been lost or forgotten.
The lyrics- “Sometimes I wish to God I didn’t know now
The things I didn’t know then
Road you gotta take me home “
seem to really sound out to me. Why? I’m a little older than the typical Fontbonne student, I’m in my 40′s. There are many things in life that have thrown me off course as far as family, friends, and my education. This lyric speaks to me because I do truly wish at times that I was a first time student in college with all my hopes and dreams ready to come true. Instead, I have a new perspective and life experiences that at 18 I didn’t have. I’ve suffered the loss of my dad a week before my wedding, been graced with two children and a husband, been estranged from my mom I loved dearly only to reconnect with her last year when she was diagnosed with brain cancer. My younger self didn’t have any of these life experiences and was carefree, wow, to go back.
Then, I happened to think that if I went back I wouldn’t have the joys of having my two children and knowing what a blessing it can be to be a mom. By being a mom, I gained selflessness and compassion beyond merit for another. Those are two of my biggest blessings that I’ve got in my spirit the ability to act without thinking of myself and showing compassion and care not only to my kids but to others.
I also wouldn’t know the hurt the loving someone and having them leave your life either through death or on their own. When I take time to have perspective each of those have led me to me to being a stronger and more capable person. When I was younger without this experiences I was constantly relying on my dad or husband to bail me out, to be my knight in shining armor. Through my life experiences I’ve become more capable than I ever thought.
Lastly, is the relationship with my mom. When I was younger my dad told me the sun rose and set on me when it came to my mom. I can never remember a time when she didn’t love or support me. I wish that I still had those feelings when it came to my mom. But she chose to disconnect from me for over six years which is time that is lost. She chose to not see my kids growing up or talk with me which breaks my heart. This Thanksgiving though, I am thankful to God, that He gave me a loving mom as a child and into early adulthood. I can even see a blessing in that she has brain cancer. What? I am able to re-connect with her and see can be a part of my life again. The relationship is not perfect and our time I fear at times is limited but I’m thankful for the cancer because it has brought me back to her.
The song ends in these lines -
“You take the high road
And I’ll take the low road
Sometime I wish I didn’t know now
The things I didn’t know then
And give me something to believe in”. This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for a new perspective that comes from age and experience. I’m thankful that I’ve got a firm foundation in Christ most of all that helps, encourages, and gives me something to believe in daily.
May you all find something to believe in through Christ this holiday season.
Blessings- Sherry
Tagged as:
family,
life experiences,
Non-traditional student,
reconnecting,
Thanksgiving
Hey Griffins! Thanksgiving was a few days ago and I had a wonderful time with my family. I’ve been thankful for a lot this year. My number one would be my family; they are always there for me and have been really supportive. I’m also thankful for my boyfriend and his family. Over the summer paying for me to come out to Colorado and this winter break letting me come out for 3 weeks and spend the holidays with them. Other things I am thankful are being able to be at Fontbonne to get a good education, the new friends I have met here, and just life in general. Life has been good to me and other people; and I think some people take it for granted. Lastly, I am thankful that the semester is almost over!
Until next time.
Tagged as:
family,
Family support,
Friends,
Good Education,
Thankful,
Thanksgiving
