Be Grateful (Day 7)

When I was living in London I remember having a discussion with a bloke who had recently visited the MidWest. Naturally, I asked him what he thought. He commented that he felt like everyone was fake. I was flabbergasted. How could this be? His response: everyone is so friendly there, no one can really be that friendly. Oh, but we are, my friend, we are.

Today I am grateful for being from the MidWest.

I am in no rush to move back to Wisconsin, but every time I go home I realize how blessed I am to have grown up there. Not only are La Crosse and the Mississippi Valley extremely gorgeous and picturesque, but the people there are genuine and welcoming. They are happy to strike up a conversation with anyone, happy to lend an ear or a hand to a stranger and truly know the meaning of friendly. They don't look at you like you have a second head when you ask for a favor and they don't brush you off when you just feel like a chat as you're checking out at the grocery store.

I'm quite convinced life would look a little darker if I had grown up somewhere else because I am certain my sunny disposition can be attributed to the great state of Wisconsin.

Be Grateful (Day 6)

Anyone who knows me well knows that I tend to change my mind as frequently as most change their underwear. It is not that I am flighty but more that I tend to get exceptionally passionate about something, someone, some place and can think only of that object until another eventually and inevitably comes along. This has not hurt me in any way (thus far), but I am sure has been more than irritating for my friends and family who have on more than one occasion taken me a little too seriously. I always mean well and there is a small part of me that truly did want to move to Austin, TX, go into music supervision, travel the world to visit every friend I have, get my masters in film theory, fill in your favorite Kelly life plan here.

As I age and mature, I suppose, I am teaching myself to keep focused on one plan and for the past three years that one plan has been to find a way to make a profession out of helping others. The parameters of that helping has changed slightly, one month it was troubled teens, the next was teens dealing with substance abuse, another grown children of divorced parents, and now it's college student. Wherever I eventually land, I know that I want to be in the helping profession. I know I want to spend my life being compassionate and empathetic. For that, today I am grateful to have the ability to put my life on hold for at least two years so I can pursue my master's in community counseling.

Be Grateful (Day 5)

Each year 6-8 million dogs and cats are sheltered. Tragically, about half of them are not adopted and are subsequently euthanized.

When I went to the pound to find my own furry beast I picked out an adorable little 4 month old Pit Bull mix. They told me I'd have to leave her over the weekend to get spayed, but come Monday afternoon she'd be all mine. After an extraordinarily long weekend full of puppy preparations, I go to pick up my little bundle of joy. As I'm paying for her the woman says "Oh, yours is the 2 year old, right?".

"Excuse me? No, I think you've got that wrong", I assure her. She shows me a picture to confirm the dog she is referring to is in fact the same one I am here to adopt. "You better go back to the clinic".

I do as I am told and am informed that after further investigation my puppy is in fact a full grown dog (it turns out she was actually only a little over 1). "Do you still want her?"

"Um, of course, why wouldn't I?"

"Most people would say no."

"What would happen then?"

"Ummmmm..." I well up, take the leash and walk out the door.

Today I am grateful for that little malnourished, fake puppy, Hendrix Lilah Pooperstein Pertzsch.

Most people say, "Oh, good for you, you rescued that poor little dog". But the truth of the matter is that although I might have rescued her but she's the one that changed my life. Suddenly I have to think about something other than myself. I have to put something else first. Something that depended on me not only to feed it and take care of it, but to love it, unconditionally.

Now every day when I come home there is this happy ball of fur wagging her tail uncontrollably. If I'm real quiet as I turn the key in the lock I can avoid waking her up and catch a glimpse of the wrinkle face. If you have not had the pleasure of seeing this face, it will melt your heart. Accompanied with her booty dance it is unstoppable and sure to be a YouTube hit should I ever get it on film.

Bottom line, she's the raddest dog I know. People stop me on the street to tell me how adorable she is. I have a list at least 5 deep of people who have asked if they can have her if I ever need to give her away (including our vet in Tempe). She has won over many a non-dog person with her beauty and charm. She loves me more than anyone else (except maybe my mom) and for that she will be my co-pilot for life.

Be Grateful (Day 4)

Our country has a long way to go in its battle against racism. I still worry about the type of country it will be for my mixed race nephew. Will he struggle because his skin is darker than mine? Will he be made fun of or put down because he looks different than the majority of his classmates? We are taking small steps every year, every day, but I am still not confident that the answer to these questions will be no. Yet, today I am still eternally grateful for Martin Luther King Jr and the changes he made possible in our country and our world.

Because of MLK we are all able to dream about a better country, a better world.

I dream that one day my LGBT friends will have the same rights as me; not in spite of their sexual orientation but because of their sexual orientation. I dream that one day my children will know a world without racism. I dream that the American dream will continue to flourish. I dream that Barack Obama will not be our only non-white president. I dream that one day Americans will not have to worry about how they will pay for health care because it will be seen as the right that it is. I dream that we will leave our kids a better world that the one we received and that they will continue the trend. I dream that my generation will be able to bring America out of this selfish obsession with money and power. I dream that instead we will be obsessed with equality, social justice and bettering our planet. I dream that we will continue to be proud of our country's accomplishments instead of embarrassed by its blunders. I dream that my grandfather and father will not have served this great country in vein and that the men and women who serve us today will be treated with the respect they deserve. That they will be supported instead of ignored when they return from duty. I dream that those who cannot afford a college education will have options other than to join the military. I dream that one day patriotism will not be associated with conservative fanaticism. I dream that Martin Luther King Jr's words will always ring true, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice".

Be Grateful (Day 2)

Thanks to my amazing dad and the other fantastic men in my life I am daddy issue free. Thanks to the amazing female influences in my life I am the tough chick I am today. With that in mind, today I am thankful for the strong women that surround me.

My Gram - I know I've told you before how awesome my Gram is, but I cannot emphasize her awesomeness enough. She is everything I aspire to be. She is the original tough chick. She not only bagged herself a super handsome man, but she ran a house while maintaining her own sense of self. She worked hard her entire life and although her body is now paying the price, she still keeps a smile on her face. She makes me want to be a stronger, better woman.

Me Mum - I'm fortunate that most of my life my mum and I have gotten along. There were a few tough years when I was a prepubescent, but nothing so severe that it damaged our relationship in any way. I am one of those weirdos who considers her mom to be one of her best friends. She is often the first person I want to call when someone extremely good or bad happens. I don't always take her advice but I always want to hear her opinion. Similar to my Gram, she has worked hard to get where she is today and although she isn't the original tough chick, she still is one.

My step-mom, Tami - It has to be said, my step-mom and I don't always see eye to eye. In many circumstances we are almost polar opposites. Despite this, I cannot help but admire her fortitude and conviction. She's a tough lady and she always sticks to her guns (even I don't always agree with where she's aiming).

My Auntie Kar - I don't tell her enough, but I really admire my dad's sister, Karen. In many ways, my life parallels hers. She put a great deal of focus on her education and spent a lot of years moving from one state to the next, going wherever the wind took her. The only "grown up" liberal in my family, she is my kindred spirit. She has shown me that it's OK to be single and follow your heart. It's OK to go against the majority and be your own person. She has taught me that even if I don't ever have children of my own I can still share my love and generosity; I can still be fulfilled.

Be Grateful (Day 1)

Several years ago I picked up my brother's cell phone and the message on his screen simply read "Be Grateful". I immediately changed the message on my phone to say the same and have kept it ever since. I try to constantly keep that message in mind and I try to put it into action daily. Recently I decided to revisit a friend's blog and although she hadn't updated it in a while what she had there was very poignant for me. She was in the middle of 30 days of gratitude. I didn't take the time to read over the stipulations of this exercise as I figured I could simply make up my own. I'm going to express my gratitude for as many days as it takes.

As many of you may have noticed I spent a good portion of my holiday break uselessly reflecting on previous relationships and the drama that seems to only surround me when I get anywhere near a guy. However, this has lead me to think about the men that I have in my life that are drama-free and amazing. So today I am grateful for the men in my life.

My Papa Bear - My dad is just a really amazing guy. He is one of those people that can only be described with the phrase "salt of the earth". He's taught me the importance of a good sense of humor and that it's OK to laugh at yourself. He's also taught me to have faith in myself and that I can do anything...even without a man. Plus, he's been known to shed a tear when dropping me off at the airport. How can you not love a man like that?!

My big brother, Jacob - As each year passes, Jake becomes more and more like my dad. Outwardly he pretends that this annoys him, but I think he secretly knows it's true. Growing up, Jake made me laugh harder than anyone else. He still does. He's also proved to be a really amazing Dad, which worries me because that means it's probably very likely my kids will be hellions.

My step-dad, John - I absolutely won the step-parent lottery. I can't imagine that it is easy to be a step-dad, especially not to my brother and me, but John has been nothing short of awesome. I am constantly learning from him and almost as constantly giving him a hard time. Just because I can.

My Boy Bestie, Peter - Peter and I are like an old married couple. We bicker and make fun of each other regularly, but at the end of the day we have an incredible amount of love and respect for each other. Peter is a tremendously generous friend and is always pushing me to be a better friend in return. Plus, he makes me laugh, a lot.


My nephews, Sytahn and Tyson - I'm not sure if and when I want to be a mommy, but I love everything about being an auntie. These two little dudes are beyond amazing. They have personality and humor coming out of every pore. They are sweet and lovable and I can't wait to spend time with them, just getting to know them and thinking about what cool guys they'll grow up to be. I love that I can spoil them, hype them up and then send them home. Like I said, it's good to be an auntie.