Sunday, January 18, 2015

    Hi, kids!!! It's your friendly neighborhood Olivia, here with a list of things of THINGS THAT I'M GRATEFUL FOR; (this list is in no particular order, by the way...)

- I'm grateful for the opportunity to find myself... To find out who and what I am, what makes me happy, what make me sad, what I love, what I hate... and just what makes me tick in general. Self-examination is difficult, and at times heart-wrenching; but it's a necessary thing for me to do so I can move forward.

- I'm grateful for the opportunity to change my  life for the better... This has both nothing, and everything, to do with being transgender... I've made quite a lot of terrible decisions in my life, and making positive changes in my life will enable me to progress more smoothly in my transition. My New Year's resolutions are to love myself more, and to not do stupid stuff... I've done WAY too much stupid stuff in my life and wasted way too much of it not to think about changing it for the better.

- I'm grateful for coffee!!! I love to drink it... I love that it wakes me up in the morning... I love the taste of it, the smell of it, and the sounds my little coffee maker makes when it burbles happily as it brews up that wonderful yummy goodness!!!

- I'm grateful for Facebook, and for the friends I have there... My friends have made me smile, made me happy, made me laugh, and made me think... They've taught me quite a bit... not just about being transgender, but about simply being a better human being. I'd like to thank each and every one of them for the impact they've made on my life.

- I'm grateful for my sister's support!!! Telling her that I was transgender was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do in my entire life. Sometimes siblings (and parents) don't take that kind of news well at all... but my sister continues to be one of the best friends I have in the world! She listens, she offers advice, but most importantly, SHE CARES!!! I may not be her brother anymore, but she will always be my sister!!!

- I'm grateful for music... Music has been a constant in my life, ever since that little kid with the portable transistor radio back in the 70's; since the kid with the Walkman in the 80's; since my major cassette-buying era in the 90's; through the 2000's and up to today. Despite all of the bad decisions I've made in my life, there have been some pleasant times... Music brings back those good memories. Music has made me happy, sad, angry, and calm... For every mood and situation in my life, there's a song... Through good times and bad, music has always been there for me; in my head, in my heart, and in my soul.

- I'm grateful that I finally understand why I'd felt different from everyone else I knew for most of my life... I am transgender. For a long time, I thought I was just very weird, and that there was no hope for me to ever be truly happy. I realize now that that was not the case... Oh, I'm weird, all right... but there IS hope!!! I deserve to be happy, and I'm working on that every day. No one can be happy ALL the time, but I'm changing my life, and myself for the better, so that the days where I feel happy thoroughly outnumber the ones where I don't.

- I'm grateful that I can still learn things... I don't know everything, and I'm very glad that I know that! I keep my eyes, ears, mind and heart open so that I can receive new information. I've long held the view that if you don't learn SOMETHING new every single day, no matter how small it is, then that particular day is wasted.

- I'm grateful for the National Football League!!! When I was very young, my dad introduced me to the sport of professional football. As I watched the games and bonded with him, I learned the value of teamwork and the importance of doing your job to the best of your ability. My dad passed away in 2012, and now every time I watch or even think about pro football, I think of my dad. I love him dearly, and I miss him terribly. If there is a heaven, I hope that my dad is meeting the players and coaches he enjoyed watching so much...

- I'm grateful that I have the chance to make a list like this and share it online...

    So there it is... my (probably nowhere near complete list of THINGS THAT I'M GRATEFUL FOR!!! Hope you enjoyed reading it!!!

I'm going to try to add to this blog more often as the year moves forward... I think doing so could be theraputic for me. Thanks for reading, and take care, kids!!!

PEACE, LOVE, AND MUSIC!!!

Olivia Hope Woodstock