As today is Thanksgiving, I thought that I would remind myself all the reasons to be thankful prior to starting the stress of the actual holiday, wherein people will likely pry into my reasons for not, as yet, helping to spawn the next generation. So here, mostly in no particular order, for your viewing pleasure and my attempt at retaining sanity, are my Top Ten Things To Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving:
10 ) No vet visits. It has been over three weeks since I have had to take a dog to the vet. A particular dog. Sorry, ran to go knock on some wood.
9 ) Contentedness with most aspects of life. Not all. Some are stressing me out. Enumerating them (ok, one) would defeat the purpose of a thankful blog. (Has anyone else noticed that the spell-check on a BLOG website does not recognize blog as a word? Weird…)
8 ) Safety, warmth and food. Three things that not everyone, not even all Americans, have. Come on, even Miss America would list this one. I may seem heartless, but I’m not. Well, not really.
7 ) Our troops. This is my shout-out to all those overseas, wherever you may be. My thoughts are with you and your families today. You are what allow me the freedom to sit at home happily blogging before a food coma. Thank you.
6 ) The zit on my chin that popped out this morning. If I’m not thankful for it, I’d probably be pretty darn upset about it. I’m choosing the half full glass.
5) Knitting. It helps retain sanity and allows me to give handmade gifty goodness. It is a hobby with a sense of purpose, which of course makes it useful, and I always like me some useful. It allows me to relax while feeling productive. Without it, there are many people I would not have met.
4) Speaking of whom, friends. Regardless of whether I talk to them every day, once a month, once a year, or have never even met them in person. They are awesome. They listen to my, sometimes daily, venting. They keep me sane. With them, I am free to be me (no matter how obnoxious, obsessed or cranky that “me” is). Plus, y’all are the ones reading this so it’d be rude not to include you.
3) Family. Whether family by birth or marriage, whether they overwhelm me sometimes or not, they are my family. Today, when we sit down to eat, I will be thankful that we are together because I am surrounded by people who care about me.
2) Puppies. For Ode to Puppies, see previous blog. Yes, I am that girl.
1) My wonderful, thoughtful, caffeine-bearing, cookie-bouquet-buying (even though he swears it was Max) rock. Without whose friendship, support and love, I would not be the person I am today. He is the thing I am thankful for most in the world. He gives me everything a girl could ever want. He may have some annoying tendencies; he may tease (such as saying, “don’t forget to put your finger in a light socket to do your hair!”). He may even, on occasion, get on my very.last.nerve. However, without him, I would be adrift on a sea of online dating, bar pick-up lines (or not given relative cuteness factors), and intense loneliness without a best friend. I love you very much sweetie, even if you will never read this (because we all know you think blogs are weird).
So, for all of these things, I am thankful today. When life gets me down, I now have written proof that, indeed, I am a lucky girl.
