Thanksgiving is less than a week away. Are you ready? For me, working in retail, it’s all about getting ready for the next big event. Right now I’m focused on getting ready for Black Friday, the greatest of American retail holidays. The public will descend en masse to take advantage of the great values retailers are giving the public. Line the pockets of the money man. Cha-ching! $$$

But I would like to take a moment, before the my hectic week begins to look back and see where I am. I have a place to live, and the opportunity to help out a friend in need. I’m making progress paying off my debts. In a couple of weeks, I’ll be taking a quick roadtrip with friends to see a concert.

Speaking of friends, I made peace with one of them.  Almost took a whole year to get to this point, but I’m glad whatever happened is behind us. I took my best friend with me to a family reunion in Corpus Christi. Twenty years of friendship, and we both go to Corpus, but that was the first time we went together.

On the same trip, after c oming back to the DFW area, I finally met someone I’ve been talking to on Twitter, whose child is also transgender. We had a great time over burgers and drinks, with her husband and my best friend. 

And talking about trips, we’re planning on going to Florida next year. Maybe I should be thankful next year after we go, but I’m positive about our chances of actually going. We’ve gone to Georgia together twice. Visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando will totally be worth it

I’m definitely thankful for friends, both old and new, but what else?

I’m thankful for having come out to my family. They have taken it better than I had imagined. Even so, they are not thrilled about it. They don’t want to see me dressing as me, but I will take what I can get. Hope they will come around, but I’m grateful for this small miracle.

When I first came around to accepting my own truth, I never thought I would get to this point. I never imagined that I would come out to my family. Now they know, as do my coworkers and my friends. I have not experienced the hate I expected to see. I found only love and understanding.

It’s not a perfect situation, but it never it is. It’s at best a compromise, but life is made of compromises, of giving and taking, of making peace out of situations that may otherwise create conflict.

I have created enough conflict, both to the world and within myself. In the past year, I have discovered a measure of peace. I have learned to be happy with who I am and where I am. I still have dreams and goals, but it’s no longer a flight from where I am, but rather desire to better myself. 

I’m thankful for my life. Maybe it’s not the life I would otherwise have chosen, but it’s the life I have. I will make the best of it. I’m thankful for everything that has come my way.