thankful

The other night we were watching TV and a special about Congresswoman Gabby Giffords came on. At first it was kind of just background noise to Bryke playing, Ter doing homework and me reading. But then I started to watch and really listen and I am so glad I did.

Gabby was shot in the head while giving a speech and I think13 other people were injured and 6 people died that day. She went from being ‘the most positive person in congress’ to someone who had to relearn to do every little thing that we take for granted. Watching what she was like before the accident made me feel like she was unstoppable. In almost every picture she had a smile on her face. She was charismatic, determined and forging ahead in the world of politics. And then that fateful day happened and her world was turned upside down. But through her ordeal she has remained positive. She is now doing her best to forge ahead in a new world, the world of recovery and fighting to regain what was taken from her.

I had never heard of Congresswoman Giffords before her accident and now I will never forget her. I don’t really know anything about her political agenda but politics isn’t what makes her a woman that I look up to. It is her determination and her unfailingly positive attitude in the face of tremendous trials. It’s hard to convey what I felt while watching that special in words. It made me determined to be thankful for every little thing that I have and am able to do. It made me thankful for my healthy body and all of its capabilities. I need to be more positive and not the little things get me down. Gabby made me realize that if I had a chance to throw my trials in a hat with everyone else’s and choose a new set I would run the other way and hold on to mine for dear life. I have been blessed with such a wonderful life and I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for giving me all that I have.