twitsandblobs

If anyone reading this does not feel a profound sense of gratitude in their life, then they just need to look around, and pay attention as they are doing it.  Even though I am not grateful for the Christmas decorations that are already up, I am grateful that I have the means to be aware that they are up.  I have a car, a TV (several actually-a mixed blessing), eyes and ears that work and a brain that works well enough to comprehend that the decorations are up too early.  At least let me finish my pumpkin pie, won’t you?  Better yet, let me finish my candy corn.

I am not grateful that family members sometimes solicit stress within me, but I am grateful that I have family.  I am not grateful that the blue jeans I am wearing at the moment feel to snug, but I am extremely grateful that I have clothing to wear and enough food to eat, usually more than I need.

Although often, my days pass without a gesture of gratitude, Thanksgiving arrives each year with a constant reminder that I should be grateful.  Considering that, these are the things I am grateful for today.  These are the things that I take for granted, or that I sometimes feel entitled to have in my life.  These are the gifts to which I should never be oblivious.  I am putting it in writing so that I do not forget.

1.  The obvious:  my health, my home, my mind (mostly still there), my full refrigerator, my family, my countless creature comforts.
2.  My husband, who not only tolerates my artistic tendencies, but interestingly, embraces them.
3. My girlfriends who encourage me to stretch myself creatively, even if it pulls me away from my comfort zone.   Especially if it does that.   Thank you Karen, Kit, Katie, Anne, Kate, Bev and Blair.
4. My friends who bother to stay in touch even though our lives have long grown apart.  Thank you Cecily, Sheila, Linda, Lydia, Kathleen, Donita, Michael, Jeff, Margaret, Jo and Bonnie.
5. My supper club.  Hobby, Marjorie, Mary Jo, Lanny, Chris, Al, Tom and Lisa.  Your cooking and hospitality inspire me to be a better cook and hostess.
6. My church family, who gently move in a direction I want to follow.  Charlotte, Nina, Lois, Barry, Ellis, Muggie, Chuck, Bridgett, Amber, Brent and countless others.
7. For Neetsy and Theresa, who make morning workouts seem like a really comfortable dating situation, and for their friendships.  My neck, my right shoulder, my lower back and my attitude are grateful to you and for you.
8. For the people who have flowed into my life because fate was shining on me, and out because life or death took them elsewhere, I am grateful.  For Mom, Dad, Marvin, Aunt Flora, sweet Charity, Kelly, Ike, Mary Jane.  I am grateful that they gave me gentleness, guidance and warm funny memories.
9. For the desire to play with food until it turns into a pie, a gumbo, a bread pudding or a soup.  And also for my taste buds, I am grateful.
10. For the love of reading, I am grateful to my mother who introduced me to reading for fun, and then to my book club and other reading friends who continue to make it fun.  I think I could live anywhere in the world, under almost any conditions as long as I have a good book and my eyesight.
11. For all the boyfriends I spent time with in my life, the good and the bad, I am grateful.  Because of them, I appreciate my husband more than I would have had they never broken my heart or hung around too long.
12. For my faith that this life is only the beginning and that each of us is on this earth for a reason, I am grateful. Truly, without that, numbers 1-11 wouldn’t even be on this page.