Feeling Thankful

It's always around the holidays that I realize how grateful I am to have such a wonderful family. Between manic cooking sessions, struggling to find a perfect gift, and driving from one end of town to the other to meet up with friends, it can be hard to find time to reflect on the importance of family amidst the most stressful season of all.

Living far away from home, too, is another reason why I tend to appreciate my family far more than usual. And so I wanted to take this blog post to thank each member of my immediate family for what they've personally done for me:

Thank you to Bijan for calling. For trying to find any way possible to be involved in my life despite living twice as far away from me as the rest of my family. Thank you for being the person I looked up to throughout my twelve years of playing piano. Thank you for showing me that if you have a dream and work hard towards it, you can achieve it- step by step. And thank you for introducing me to 30 Rock and How I Met Your Mother.

Thank you to Kian for looking out for me since the day I was born. Thank you for always wanting the best for me, and accepting no less than that. Thank you for protecting me- even when I didn't think that I needed it. And thank you for being the best (and most entertaining) co-worker ever- even if the kids do think you're way cooler than I am.

Thank you to Camy for teaching me that happiness should never be taken for granted. Thank you for explaining everything to me that I never understood, and for being the family's expert on the most obscure topics. And thank you for forcing me to watch Love Actually with you when you were shocked to find out that I had never seen it before.

Thank you to Nana for teaching me that kindness counts. Thank you for being exactly the kind of person I would want to be at your age. Thank you for your vivid storytelling over lengthy, wine-filled dinners. And thank you for never losing your spark or your sass, and passing that personality onto me.

Thank you to Grampy for teaching me that learning doesn't have to stop when you grow older. Thank you for showing me that there's always something more to explore in life, and that you should always be curious. And thank you for your "Grampy Jokes"- even the one about the pig with the wooden leg. 

Thank you to Dad for never letting me forget where my family comes from. Thank you for teaching me about my heritage, and passing on the best Iranian traditions. Thank you for letting me plant the green beans in the garden every summer growing up. And thank you for singing in front of all my friends at my graduation party.

Thank you to Mom for always putting my needs before yours. Thank you for sacrificing everything for this family. Thank you for your patience during the shopping trips that ended in tears. Thank you for teaching me that the best way to show love is through baking (preferable chocolate). And thank you for being my role model in every single way.