Giving Thanks — Jillian Ilana

Happy Thanksgiving Readers! While Thanksgiving this year was very, very different, I hope you were all able to celebrate in one way or another. My brother Ben, whom I haven’t seen since March, came home from college and we just had a small Thanksgiving dinner, made spiced caramel cider and watched a lot of football.

Despite all the trials and tribulations faced this year, there is a lot I have to be thankful for:

First things first, I am eternally thankful for my tight circle of friends and family. They are my rock, my shoulder to cry on, my sounding board when I need to rant or rave, and an endless fountain of guidance and inspiration. While I did not get to see them as much as I wanted to, I knew they were always a text, phone call, Snapchat or DM away. Thank you, all of you, so much for always being there.

I’m thankful to Peloton. Like many others, when lockdown started I worried about how the lack of access to the gym would affect my mental and physical health. Exercising is my go-to stress reliever, an outlet for me to push myself beyond self-imposed limits. Working out to me is more than just burning calories. To quote Elle Woods, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.” On a daily basis the incredible Peloton instructors remind me that I am a strong, powerful, unstoppable queen who is capable of anything. They have made me stronger on and off the mat. They have transformed me from someone who believed she couldn’t and didn’t run into someone who now knows she can.

I’m thankful to books for providing much needed stress relief during quarantine. I have always loved to read- one of my earliest memories is me walking around the house holding a Sleeping Beauty book. My favorite authors of 2020 include Allison Brennan, Catherine Coulter, Elaine Welteroth (Click HERE to read my previous blog post about her), J.T. Ellison, Danielle Girard, Daniel Silva...the list goes on and on. I’ll give anything a chance from international spy thrillers to sports romance to legal dramas and anything and everything in between. Reading someone else’s story, whether true or make believe, has always been an escape for me and I have loved each new journey.

I’m thankful to Sami, Aleen and the DST’ers. I’ve made it known more than once how much I love Diet Starts Tomorrow and the community Betches founders Sami and Aleen have created through the podcast. Since the first episode premiered in 2018, I have been a loyal listener, following Sami and Aleen on their wellness journey while continuing on my own. They’ve inspired me to be more honest and open about my struggles and successes with body image and celebrate non-scale wins. I know that no matter what I’m feeling or what I see in the mirror, I have an incredible support system who will love and accept me for me. ‘

I am thankful that, as I write this, my best friend/little sister/hero Michaela is home where she belongs. To say Michaela is the strongest girl I know would be the biggest understatement- she can give Wonder Woman a run for her money any day of the week. She has had to fight more than her fair share of fierce battles this year and has done so with her middle finger in the air and a smile on her face. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can stop this girl.

I am thankful to my dad for being my omnipresent guardian angel. While not a day goes by where I don’t wish I could hear his voice, see his smile, feel his hugs, I know he is always looking down on me, ensuring his little girl is okay. This year has been trying in more ways than one, but I know that he is always, always there.

Last, but not least, I am thankful to you, my readers. I am thankful for your constant feedback and support. Starting Always Looking Up has been one of the best parts of 2020. It’s allowed me to make my voice heard on a new platform, create new, everlasting friendships (Special shoutout to Lucy Jones and Kathleen Harper), and shine a light on issues that are often ignored. With each post I have learned more about myself, the fashion industry, the little person and disabled communities, and the world at large and I’m not done yet. Thank you for starting and continuing on this adventure with me, I’m excited to see where we go next.