I’m sure most people have heard the quote, “When life gives you 100 reasons to cry, show life you have 1,000 reasons to smile.” Not sure who came up with it, but I was sitting in the garden today, thinking… maybe philosophizing… but anyway, this is one of the quotes that is taped to the wall in my room. And I thought… what if I made that list?

I’m sure I’m not the first to think of it, but so what? Not everyone’s list is going to be the same. And 1,000 is a pretty big number. Especially if you’re doing a post for every reason, as I have decided to do. 🙂

Don’t worry; I’m still going to keep up the writing tips and all of that; not every single post is going to be a reason to smile. But this is sort of a little project to do on the side. I’m sure there’s more than 1,000 reasons, but let’s see how far I can get.

They’re not going to be in any sort of order, so don’t be surprised if I put something random like hot chocolate before friends. Still, the first couple will be pretty obvious- the first one that most people probably think of being family.

I don’t think I can really explain how thankful I am for my family; it’s just that when I read stories about orphans or think about other kids whose parents are divorced, I feel this wave of gratitude wash over me. It’s just that I’m so thankful that I have a family and that I’m not living alone in the world.

But once you get past that aspect of it, it comes down to the type of people they are. I can relate to them and can pretty much tell them anything. I know there are people who don’t get along with their parents at all, or they rarely talk to them. Or maybe their parents are rarely home. Ever read Matilda by Roald Dahl? I am so thankful my family is nothing like Matilda’s.

But I have got to say, I honestly feel like I couldn’t ask any more of my parents. And my brother- we have never fought. Ever. When I say this to my friends who have siblings, they don’t believe it. We have such a good relationship with each other… and he does so much for me. He was the one who started this blog for me!

I don’t mean to sound all mushy-gushy or teary-eyed or anything… it’s just that top of the list, before anything else, I have got to put my family. Obviously, I could go on and on about every single member, but that would make for a very lengthy post. So if any of my family is reading this, and I haven’t mentioned you, please know that I am infinitely grateful to you too!