Thankfulness and Resolutions

I know I am a little late for the usual Thanks stuff but the start of a whole new year makes one reflective and I figured why do the usual resolutions that break within the first month anyways?
So, here are a few things I am very thankful for:

1) Jeff: It's been 5 years since I met, 3 years since we got married and 2 years since we ghot married again ;-)। Some days it feels like I have known him forever; other times, I feel like we met so late in life that it's not enough time together. Either way though, I couldn't imagine life with anybody else. He's a calming force in my whirlwind life. Anyone who knows me closely knows that I am at my best when I have multiple things going and maybe even when there's a crisis looming on the horizon. I am sure if that's how I lived my life all the time, I'd crash and burn soon. But, Jeff's always there to slow me down, make me relax and just enjoy life.

2) Suheir: My sister moved in with us earlier this year and I wasn't sure how that would work out। I felt a little trepidation; understandable since we hadn't lived together in 11 years. We've had our tiffs, she's the younger one so she reserves the right to be a pain in the butt and I reserve the right as older sister to be the know it all :-). However, it's been really good to have her here. She's known me the longest next to my parents, she's heard all my secrets and she's still my biggest supporter. I couldn't ask for a better younger sister.

3) My parents: All I have to say is they seem to have forgotten anything I did to make them tear their hair out in my younger days। They will always be in my corner, applauding my successes and sharing in my losses. I love and miss my parents.

4) My in-laws: What a word "in-law" is. I don't know how it is in other cultures by Bollywood has perpetuated this image of an in-law that makes us cringe at that word. I am very happy to say that my in-laws are nowheer near those images। I got lucky in that area. I have the most loving and caring in-laws: parents who care about us and have even taken my sister under their wings. I have also gained 2 sisters who share embarrassing stories about Jeff from his childhood. And their husbands couldn't be nicer. So, all in all, I might have picked the best in-laws in the whole entire world.

5) Friends: I have moved around so much I am surprised I have any friends. But, it says something about their tenacity that they've stuck with me through all my adventures and misadventures. I thank all of you for being my pillars and my crying shoulders. I thank you for coming over sick in the rain to help put lights up. I thank you for letting me call you in the middle of the night and complain about anything. I thank you for spending hours in the aisles of DSW helping me find the perfect shoe। I thank you for going to Indian restaurants when you don't even like the food.

6) Co-workers: For my first job, I sure did get lucky। I have a boss who's also a friend. Our puppies are in love with each other. I have coworkers I can tolerate on weekends too.

7) Smokey: How could I forget him? I never thought an animal could invoke the feelings of love that Smokey does. And the love he gives back; it's unconditional and completely trusting. He is the bestest puppy in the whole entire world (as we tell him again and again).

My 1 resolution for the new year would apply to everyone named above: try and be more patient. I am impatient with a hair trigger temper. It does come down as fast as it goes up. But, i resolve to work on being a little more patient with all the people who matter and to stop and smell the roses (cliche but true) every now and then.

With that, I wish you all a happy ending to 2008 and a wonderful beginning to 2009।

सब को २००९ की शुभ कामनाएं!