Cliché Thanksgiving Post

It’s the time of year again when Americans travel to be with loved ones, stampede down the aisles of Wal-Mart, and succeed in setting something on fire while in the process of cooking the perfect Thanksgiving meal. For much of my childhood, Thanksgiving was spent at my mom’s mother’s house in Alabama. Now, it is spent right down the street at my dad’s parents. Either way, I am always reminded of the importance of family.

In the holiday spirit (and because I like lists), I’m going to list what I am thankful for this year. I want to look back at how I change and grow through the years, and this is a great way to do that.

I am thankful for…

1. My mom, for being a strong role model. You know how to make your kids laugh, and you are one of my best friends.
2. My dad, for being so caring. You understands my love for all animals (even rats and moles), and have always taught me to never give up.
3. My brother, for understanding my sense of humor and for listening to the stories that I’ve been making up for years. In a way, you were what made me love music. You listened to the songs that I made up off the top of my head as you fell asleep, and that inspired me to continue writing songs.
4. My friends, for being real with me even if you don’t always understand me.  
5. Koas and Olle, for listening from thousands of miles away. I know that I can tell either of you anything without worrying about you stabbing me in the back. I’ve known you both for exactly a year now. Here’s to many more years!
6. My cat Jazmine, for sleeping beside me and keeping my toes warm at night.
7. My cat Peeta, for making me so happy for two years. You were such an amazing cat, and I know that I will never forget you.
8. Liberty, for being the most amazing dog in the world. You have been a part of our family for eleven years, and I still remember the day we got you. You’ve always been like Nana from Peter Pan.
9. Ellie, for being the most spoiled mutt that I’ve ever known. Thank you for making me laugh.
10. My job. It supports my music and book addiction.
11. The field. It’s a place to run in the open and be alone.
12. The river, for being a place of peace and life and promise.
13. The woods, for being a home to so many kinds of life. A place that is both loud and silent.
14. My past, for shaping me into the person that I have become.
15. My mistakes, for teaching me that I can be better than what I was yesterday.
16. My knowledge, for allowing me to see past so much ignorance and hate.
17. My heart, for being empathetic.
18. My imagination, for making everyday interesting.
19. Memories, for making me smile and cry.
20. Last of all, I am thankful for my readers. You make me so happy when I see that someone has commented or emailed me from the Say, Sara page. Thank you for being so supportive and amazing.

What are you thankful for? Leave a comment below!

Peace, Love, and Books,

Sara

Bravery and Cowards

Paige and I were given the assignment by our fantastic psychology teacher to wear rainbow ribbons supporting gay rights for a day. The point of the assignment was to see the reactions of people that we came in contact with throughout the day. Of course, neither of us had any issues with putting the ribbons on and wearing them proudly, but I did have a problem with the prejudice that I witnessed first hand.

This activity made me realize how brave we both are.  We were not even slightly ashamed of our ribbons, and we never thought about taking them off or hiding them from sight.  Some people probably thought that the activity was ridiculous or stupid, but we didn’t.  We knew what we stood for.

I am so sick of hearing uneducated, ignorant people making assumptions about gay people just because they’ve seen a few words about homosexuality in the Bible. A book, let me remind you, that was written by men. If it were written by God then there would be a lot more Christians. But it wasn’t.

No one chooses to be gay. Why can’t people understand this? In a few decades, the people who went against gay rights will be looked down on. Do we not look down on those who went against the Civil Rights Movement? I know that I have posted time and time again on this issue, but I won’t stop until there is a significant change in our society. I will not stop fighting for the betterment of this country, because I know better. I know that you cannot choose who you love, just as you cannot choose what type of life you are born into.

Paige and I are brave. We are not like the cowards who cannot stand to think outside of their “comfort zones”. I know that people like us seem rare (teens with proper heads on their shoulders), but I can assure you that we are not. There are so many more like us. There are so many people who want to show people what love really is. Love does not mean to condemn. Call me crazy, I don’t care. I am passionate about what I believe in. I believe in love.

All that I ask is that you, most fantastic reader, can be brave with me.

How can you be brave? By taking part in any of the following:

1. A Lesson in Prejudice: Wear a gay pride ribbon for a day like Paige and I did. Write about your experience on you blog, or email me through the Say, Sara page. Heck, leave a comment on this post!
2. Be Loud: Protest! No war was ever won by being quiet and doing nothing. If you can’t make it to any peaceful, public demonstrations, write about it. Having a blog, Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter account means that you have a voice. Make it a strong one! As always, link me in the comments to your post. I love to see people taking a stand for what they believe in.
3. Illustrate: Post a gay rights blog button on your side bar. People love pictures. Especially when they involve rainbows.
4. Take The Pledge: Go ahead, click the button. You know you want to.

There you have it. Four incredibly easy options for being brave and taking a step towards a better future.

Peace, love, and warm toes,

Sara