As I sit here on Thanksgiving morning, I recollect how thankful I am to be here and finally back on track after several years of not finding my place or that I was not caring for myself in the way that I needed to. It is any wonder that I am here and have such a great support system to help me find the way in life.

It goes without saying that it hasn’t been no small feat to get here. The frustration and unwillingness that I experienced. It had to take until many of my supporters had seen me crash and burn and then I had to pick up the pieces and get back on track. But I am thankful that I did get back on track and did not brush up on any major trouble with anyone or see that there was any serious consequence for my actions.

Reality is the fact that I wanted that taste of freedom without realizing that there are parts of what I was doing prior to becoming an independent adult in society that are still required to be a part of my life and not to go astray from what the course has been set for me. The countless nights, the many mishaps, but they have somehow did not totally result in major things. As much as I denied for several years, there was a higher power overseeing to my safety and well-being as much as I couldn’t see it.

I am also thankful that I have returned to church more permanently than I have in many years. I had become astray to not allowing myself to even believe the fact that I needed to be in the house of the Lord where I grew up because for most of my life because of a misconception of beliefs and whatnot. COVID played a part of everyone not wanting to go to church, but I have decided that I needed to be in the church as not only something to do, but the fact that I need to show gratitude on the Lord not ever giving up on me over the years by not placing me in a worst place than where I needed to be.

Despite everything that has happened in my life, it is with much gratitude that I have not been enmeshed with the justice system or been in an inpatient behavioral health hospital for over 20 years now and I need to remind myself that I have come a long way since those days at my worst. It has continually been by the grace of God that I have not been in a bad quandary and was able to get the care that I needed and wanted, partly due to my parents being my steadfast advocate throughout my life.

There is also many countless people that I am thankful for this year that were part of the puzzle that helped me get back on track and see that was not myself at all a few months ago and get back on track even though I did not want to for the longest time, it is through divine intervention that I was able to avoid having to go back into the hospital or enter the legal system with those that cared for me so much and I didn’t even realize it as much a I needed it to be a part of the life that I live.

2023 has been a year of challenging moments, but it has also made me seen that there is so much to be thankful for too and I need to stop and see that more than allowing myself to continue to see the negative out of situations that many times I cannot control. It just consumes so much negative energy that is consuming and wasteful. Many times, it has no merit to the betterment of myself nor does it have any value in the improvement of what can be helpful to me in the grand scheme of things.

In the end, I need to sit back today and reflect on how 2023 the learning experience has been quite extensive  and that I have finally gotten back on the right track and have started to see the light that I needed to see to find my niche in this world along with my rhythm to find my own routine once again and not allow myself to get back into the path that I have been over the past five years as it is very unhealthy for me to follow. It is what is important to me this Thanksgiving.