My Thanksgiving reflections center around that dang Monster

It's that time of year where we reflect and think about all of the things in our lives that we're thankful for.

I've spent some time thinking about what the last year has presented me with. Granted, the year didn't get off to a very good start last year, with the Monster invading my head right after Thanksgiving and leaving me curled up in a fetal position for a good chunk of December. And while there is a part of me that is terrified the Monster will appear on the one year anniversary of our meeting, I can't let myself dwell on it, because the Monster? He actually did teach me a few things and made me realize a few others.

What the Monster taught me:

That I'm thankful for the family and friends that I have. While curled in that fetal position, I received an amazing outpouring of love and support from those who I'm thankful to call my friends and family. And once the Monster was tamed? They didn't leave my side. They were still there, still supporting me in both my nearly yearlong recovery and in all of the other endeavors that I set out to do.

That I am a strong person and I can overcome the obstacles that life presents me with. And I'm thankful for that. If I didn't have the drive and determination to fight the Monster and put him in his place, I don't think I would have been able to pull through the whole ordeal. But I did. And I think I've showed the Monster who's boss. And it's not him. I'll continue to rely on that determination and drive as I finish off fighting the Monster and the nasty side effects he's left me with. And I will return to the person I was before he showed up.

Those are the two big things the Monster taught me. And they're lessons that I can apply to all areas of my life. If there's one thing that I like about the Monster, it's that he taught me those two things. Because those things - my family and friends and the drive and determination that I have inside me - are things that may have always been present in my life. But I may not have realized it. Or realized how important they were. And it took the Monster to make me see it. So thank you, Monster.