I give thanks...

(Coffee.)



Tis the season, why thanks-giving (in the literal sense) has become a season is kind of sad.  But rather then getting caught up in the politics of why or when we should be giving thanks, I figured I would just take November as motivation to write about thanks-giving and do what I should have been doing all along.

So Today - I will take a moment.   In this moment, I will close my eyes and meditate on just a few of the things that make my life spectacular.  None of the 'despite this' or 'the silver living is...' kind of thanks. True, meaty, simple, down to your toes kind of thanks. This is the thanks that keeps us going, that changes the world.

I am thankful for my babies tummies, so very fun to tickle and blow bubbly kisses onto.  Which leads directly to:

I am thankful for baby giggles!

I am thankful for beautiful weather, most of the time. For the wind, oh I love the wind! I love how the wind smells, feels, everything about the wind is wild and magical!  I do so love the wind.

I am thankful for the ocean. I am thankful that I can see it everyday if I wish.  Sometimes we need to stop and look at the ocean. It keeps our world both big and small all at the same time.  We need that big/smallness to stay grounded.

I am thankful for coffee, that must be high on the list for sure. Though this list is in no way by order of importance, coffee should still be toward the top.  In fact I think I shall go back and add it to the top.  Hold on one sec.....done!   See what I did there?  And you thought I was just going crazy and accidentally left that sitting at the top of this post. Ha! There was purpose all along.

I am thankful for my wonderful vacuum.  Bet you didn't see that coming.  But really people, it is amazing. So amazing that it makes it almost fun to vacuum my living room.  Almost.

I am thankful for yoga pants and comfy-ness.  Because that is how life should be lived.

I am thankful for Daniel Tiger, which allows me to write while my little one is up and jumping about. She does jump a lot...which leads to:

I am thankful for modern medicine! I am also thankful for ancient medicine, like my essential oils that banished my cold yesterday.  Bam! Gone! Amazing.

I am thankful for a wonderful neighborhood for my kids to grow up in.  Friends all around, a wonderful school for them to go to and did I mention the weather? Yeah...we are lucky. And no, I do not take it for granted!

I am thankful for my house, for my family and my beloved friends.  I am thankful for my big comfy bed and even comfier husband - who is not only an amazing hard worker and provider for his family - but is also my very favorite person to be around in the world - and he makes me coffee everyday!  Of course there is a small chance those things could be slightly related...  

I am thankful for helpful kids that are learning how to actually be helpful kids by cleaning my house. And every so often (like yesterday) they do it with very little complaining!  I am thankful for those little things that make me feel like there may be hope, that maybe I am doing ok with this whole parenting thing.

I am thankful for soft blankets and good books.  Soft blankets and good books should always come together.  And coffee too.  But that is just a given right?  I am thankful for fun hat and warms scarves.

I am thankful for Target, and coupons, cartwheel and clearance schedules. I am thankful I can contribute to helping my family save money, even though I don't technically "work" by cutting coupons and waiting for the sale.  It helps me feel needed.  

I am thankful chocolate.  I am tempted to add chocolate up to the top with coffee, but I don't want to over-do that.  Perhaps I'll put it at the bottom, you know - because every good (and bad!) day should end with a little chocolate.

I am thankful for color, for texture, for words, for writing.  I am thankful for smells and shapes, for hot baths and cold ice-cream.  I am thankful for flowers and butterflies and crazy beautiful spiders. For superhero's, super-villains and brand new socks.  I like socks.

I am thankful for baking bread, From the fizz of the yeast to the feel of the dough when it has been kneaded exactly enough. I am thankful for the excitement of the rise, the smell of it baking to the dried bits of dough stuck under my fingernails and the flour on my clothes and counters, and hair and floor and kids! And of course for the butter to put on top!

I am thankful for music, oh I am thankful for music!  For the kind of music that makes you feel down to your toes - for broadway, that shows me how the world should be, people breaking into song whenever they feel like it.  The world would be a better place if we all did that! I am thankful for music without words, to speak for us when we feel lost and cannot speak for ourselves.  Thank you.

I am thankful for running.  For feeling strong muscles, for losing my breath and catching it again. The world is always more vivid after a run.  The colors are brighter, smells are stronger, my head clears up for a moment, the world slows down.  I am thankful.  

I am thankful for baby kisses and my husband's hugs. For long conversations with friends over a cup of hot tea.  I am thankful for grandparents that love my kids as much as I do.  I am thankful for the occasional stolen date-night.  So renewing! I am thankful for papa johns pizza, movies and popcorn.

I am thankful for fun conversations with my ever growing kids - they are becoming such amazing young people!  How did that happen?  I am thankful I get to watch all the growing-ness.  The easy stuff and the hard stuff.  I am thankful for it all.

I am thankful for you - my beloved readers. You help me to feel real when the world is full of haze. Thank you.

I am thankful for the many memories I have collected, such treasure. The best. I am thankful that I am always be growing, always becoming, always learning. I am thankful that tomorrow is always a new day, no mistakes, just exciting new possibilities! And coffee, tomorrow always has coffee! Did I mentioned yet that I am thankful for coffee?

And to end, because Daniel Tiger is just about over - I am thankful for turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes!   Because in two days it is thanksgiving.  And for some weird reason we think we can only have this meal on the last Thursday of November. And it is one of my favorites, and it will be absolutely amazing.  I can't wait!

I hope to always be thankful, not just in November - though I think there is great purpose to being reminded everywhere we go to take a moment to say thanks, even just for one month of the year. Let us be thankful, in everything we do.  Not just the 'despite this' or 'let us try to see the silver lining' thanks.  But REAL, deep, raw, magnificent in it's beauty and simplicity - thanks.    






Chocolate.