It’s an amazing holiday. Beyond the food the holiday serves as a reminder that we were once strangers in a new land and were taken in by hosts (abet sometimes not so welcoming), weathered an extremely harsh winter and then had a bountiful harvest (read more via the Washington Post). It was also decreed by our dear original founding father, George Washington, that we would celebrate a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. Now whether you’re the praying kind or not, we can all give a public thanksgiving for so much. So we’ve gathered the turkeys (or our contributors) to share what they’re thankful for this year!
We’re Thankful For:
Nikki
I’m thankful for so much this year but mostly for the Game of Thrones conspiracy theories (and the people who share them with me), cause who didn’t want to spend all day reading Westerosi history George RR Marten wrote decades ago, or ordering George’s two graphic novels looking for clues about the Starks and Targaryen’s and WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?!?!?! Only April will tell.
Amanda
I’m thankful for my husband and daughter who tolerate my binge watching problem and my equestrian addiction. I’m thankful for my mom who divulged that our “ranch has started fracking” like it was a death in the family, because she knows I’m a crazy tree hugger. Seriously though, mom, fracking is super bad for the environment. I’m thankful for dystopian novels, because they’ve convinced me my current life is awesome. I’m thankful for my recent addiction to new adult books for allowing me to remember when, “everything was such a big, freakin,’ melodramatic meltdown!” I’m thankful I no longer suffer from those meltdowns, because I am … I guess … now a Middle Adult? And I’m grateful for cat memes, because there is, literally, one for every occasion.
Julie
Where do I begin? First, I would like to thank the Academy for this amazing opportunity…Wait, no. Wrong thank you list. I’m thankful for so many things, but I’ll begin by expressing my gratitude to all those fans out that there give zero effs and make quilts with celebrity faces stitched on and recreate scenes using Funko Pop Dolls and Lego sets. I’m thankful for Adele for reminding me I can’t sing to her songs at all. Shout out to Matt Damon for deciding to make another Bourne movie because I’ve missed you Jason Bourne – you don’t know how much I’ve missed you. I’m forever thankful to That’s Normal because they accept what I’m grateful for without judgement. And finally, I’m thankful for my family and friends because they love me and read even my lamest posts.
I’m also thankful for this. Amen.
Jamie W
The first thing I’m thankful for is also the most recent: the trailer for Captain America: Civil War. All that glorious, glorious Bucky Barnes. Plus, it gives me something to be excited for in 2016! Will Steve and Tony work things out? Will Black Panther kick as much ass as it looks like he’s going to kick? Will Natasha just pick one hairstyle and stick with it already? So many fun questions. I’m also thankful for Guy Ritchie, who is a god among men for realizing that putting both Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was a genius move. I will hold you in my heart always. Finally, I’m probably most thankful for all things The Hunger Games. As we all know, Mockingjay Part 2 was just released, bringing an end to both the books and the movies. I’m handling it not even a little bit super well. It’s hard to be too sad though, because I think as far as book-to-movie adaptations go, these films have been pretty solid. This story means a lot to me, and I will love The Hunger Games as long as Peeta loves bread. (Forever, obviously.)
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Amy
As a girl raised in the South, I’m very fond of the “thank you” note. So let me pull out my monogrammed stationary and say, “Thank you, 2015, for coming to a close!” This year rode me hard and put me away wet, y’all. Dear 2016, please bring me a hair dryer. But I still have lots to be thankful for. I’m thankful for my daughter Ruby who reminds me every day that you “can’t be pretty unless you are kind.” I’m thankful for my boyfriend’s beard and his warm hugs. I’m thankful for my divorce attorney, and I’m thankful for the first person who ever thought, “You know what would make these grapes more awesome? If we let them sit for a while in this barrel and turn into something a bit more boozy.”
Heidi
I’m a big believer in gratitude affecting attitude (write that down in your Trapper Keeper and sign yearbooks with it, I’ll wait) so, I really try to express my thankfulness for my family and friends as often as possible and not only on one of those daily Facebook posts your Mom’s BFF does every year. However, this Thanksgiving I’ve realized that there is one important love in my life that I have not thanked enough for the profound impact it has had on me. I’m talking about Amazon Prime. Thank you Amazon Prime for being there for me when I was awake at 2am worrying about wrinkles now that I’m in my 30’s. That night cream arrived two days later and I slept like a baby after I one-clicked to purchase it. Thank you Amazon Prime for providing, wrapping and shipping wedding presents in a timely manner for that wedding I completely forgot to rsvp to. You’re a lifesaver. Thank you Amazon Prime for delivering diapers and a lifetime two week supply of gummy worms after I delivered my third baby and didn’t have time to shower let alone drive to the store. I’ll never forget you. When I gaze lovingly at my family sitting around our table today I’ll be so grateful for them and free two day shipping.
Bekah
I’m going to win the “cheese-ball thankful post” competition because I can’t let anyone else beat me to it, but I’m pretty grateful for a little gang of 5 in my life who are currently group texting under the name “I <3 Men who Sparkle” but have also texted under the name “My Freak Challenge” and other names that are all-too-inappropriate for me to share here. But this little gang of 5 is made up of myself plus Nikki, Beth, Julie and Karen (@DougalsBeard on Twitter) and we text all day long, every day. They are the reason my phone is constantly on DND and always goes to voicemail if you try to call me. They are there when I need a laugh or when I need a serious convo. We’re spread out all over the country, though if Karen gets her way, we’ll all end up on a beach somewhere in the near future together for a weekend away.
There are no rules to this group chat except: talk when you can, ignore when you can’t; no judgement, ever; don’t share that one photo that Bekah photoshopped of Beth less you want your terrible snapchats to be screenshot and shared; always, always, always remind each other of when Sam Heughan’s hair looked better.
These girls together, who I know and love separately, have been an unexpected and delightful addition to my 2015. Here is a collage of photos recently sent in the chat:
Courtney
I’m thankful for this:
Like WAY more than I should be.
I’m also thankful for PEE-can pie (I’m back in Texas, I’ve got to pronounce it right). I’ll seriously be wearing my Joey Thanksgiving pants tomorrow without shame.
Jamie C
That marijuana is legal in Oregon, because I might need something more than alcohol to get me through this week with my father-in-law’s girlfriend. The turkey and I can both be baked.
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Danelle
I’m thankful that Elf on a Shelf isn’t a year round activity. I hate Elf on the Shelf and Willy, our elf, is a classic underachiever. My kids come home from school and tell me every day about all the awesome elves other people have and what they do at their friends’ homes. I want to tell the parents they are out of their effing minds, and they are making the rest of us (me) look bad. Haha….the kids are almost confused when my husband decides to take charge of Willy, because he likes to go all out. Asshole.
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Beth
I’m thankful for the fact that I’m editing this into the post after it was published, and no one will know. Lots to be thankful for this year including my husband having a wart on his arm instead of cancer, my kids being cool with the life-long stigma of “homeschooled kids” so I don’t have to get out of bed in the morning. I’m thankful to Bekah for texting me for weeks to get out of bed in the morning. I’m thankful for Jamie and Shalan for being the kinds of friends who take amazing trips to Europe with you, mainly on a whim. I’m thankful for new twitter friends like Lindsey, Klaudia, Andee, and Dee. I’m thankful for new TN girls who started writing reguarly this year because I have aspirations of being the Lizzy Caplan to Bekah’s Regina George. But mostly I’m thankful that I only have two months left until Kings Rising comes out.
Anne
This year I’m thankful for all of the awesome on-line friends I’ve made through That’s Normal, as well as all the great books I’ve been introduced to thanks to these ladies – I’m looking at you Fever Series and any and every Christina Lauren book. I’m also thankful for the #riffraff twitter DM group full of those of us who don’t get the advanced copies of Christina Lauren and have to wait until they actually come out to read them together and then discuss over twitter. Reading books is so much more fun when you can fan girl over them together on the internet. I’m also thankful for the gif keyboard on my phone, and the bitmoji app. I don’t even know how I communicated over text before bitmoji. Having an emoji that looks just like you that you can choose an appropriate response to for absolutely everything has been life changing and I’ll never look back.
Happy Thanksgiving That’s Normal Readers! Share your gratitude for whatever in the comments!
