Gratitude...

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down. There are no gifts to buy, no budgets to break, no religious overtones. There are no Thanksgiving carols to hear incessantly or horrible photos of silly outfits or bad pajamas and morning hair. It's the stripped-down, acoustic version of holidays, where we all just get together and talk and eat. The best thing about it is the sentiment behind the day, the stop-everything-for-two-seconds-and give-thanks part. Everyone groans when that one relative suggests taking time to go around the table and say what we're all thankful for...well, yeah, we just want to eat. But I'm secretly clapping under the table because, as much as I want to dig my fork into that stuffing, I'm a true believer in keeping the "thanks" in Thanksgiving.

I know it's a few days early, but us retail workers get pretty overwhelmed this time of year. So I'm going to make my gratitude list now while I have the time and energy. Everyone always lists their friends and family as the things they are thankful for; I always felt people should dig deeper. (And if you aren't grateful for your friends and family, you probably need them more than you know.) Everyone's experiences and daily lives move along because of such personal, relative things. Our Thanksgiving lists should reflect them, no? But when I originally sat down to make my list following my rules, I realized why people stick with the old tried-and-true answer...it's a challenge to come up with anything else. It's worth trying, so here goes:

I'm thankful for...
my village. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and for two working parents, this couldn't be more true. I am eternally grateful for my mother- and father-in-law, who give me the ability to work without worry. I am grateful to my mother, who makes my daughter light up with joy. And grateful for the countless others who help my husband and I guide our girl along with their encouragement and love. (Maybe this counts as cheating by listing my family as one of my blessings, but when they go above and beyond, they need a shout-out.)
my cheerleaders. Everyone needs them, no matter how self-sufficient you think you may be. I realized this year that I need them more than I cared to admit. An encouraging word goes a long way,
whether it comes directly from a friend or inspirationally from a stranger. I am thankful for the kind inquiries when my girl wasn't feeling well, which reminded me I was not helpless. Thankful for the interest and compliments on this little blog, which made me feel validated. Thankful for strangers' blogs, for giving me inspiration and fresh approaches to old issues. And thankful for the unsolicited, sincere how-are-you's from new voices, that made me feel especially cared for.
my conveniences. Mother Nature has played a little rough this year. Although in our house we have been very lucky, there are a lot of my friends and neighbors who weren't so fortunate. I no longer disregard the simple things that become not-so-simple when they are gone, like lights and water. I am thankful for electricity, transportation, and basic infrastructure. For my computer, my television, my cellphone, my car. And I am knocking on wood as I type.
my town. I've made mention of it before, but having a sense of home is so important to me. To take a walk and greet my neighbors, to know landmarks and history, and to watch my daughter discover the streets where we stroll and the forests where we hike. Roots are beautiful things, wherever they are. I'm glad mine are here.
my simple miracles. They're all around, every day. My daughter's morning breath. My husband's hand resting on my knee as we watch tv. The smell of my first cup of coffee and Bean's cinnamon apple oatmeal in the morning. The softness of my bed's sheets and pillow after a particularly long day. The shelter of my car after running through the rain. The sound of my girl splashing in the bathtub. The squeak of the back door when my husband arrives home safely. I could list a thousand more. We are all blessed to have our small things, that aren't really so small, that fill each day and routine. I'm grateful to have the day to think about them.

My grandmother used to say the most beautiful word in the English language is compassion, and really, who could argue? But I think gratitude could maybe place just ahead of it on the list. The act of focusing on what we have to be thankful for can instantly hush all the unruly noises in our heads. Anything that can do that these days is truly something for which to be grateful. Now let's start eating...

Shoosh...

Well, hello. I know--it's been awhile since I've been here. I think my subconscious was telling me to shoosh for a bit. There are so many of us out here, blogging away, that it just gets too noisy for me. We all get stuck in our heads and rattle around in our thoughts so much that everything becomes a set-up for the tale we plan to tell when we sit at our keyboards...and we forget to just relax and enjoy.

So I shooshed and enjoyed.

I spent quality time with my family, trick-or-treating and playing in leaves, hiking and imagining. A best friend gave birth to a miraculous baby girl and we celebrated with so much joy our cheeks hurt from smiling. Prep work has begun for the holidays and a certain sweet girl's third birthday party, which is coming faster than her mama can wrap her head around it. We were blanketed in a surprise snowfall, and surrendered to the reality of winter's fast arrival. And, as always, I ran errands, cleaned, worked, and shopped...usually with a patient toddler in tow.

In the midst of all this, I found some old friends waiting to entertain me: books, music, and television. I missed those friends. Staying away from the blogosphere gave me time to invest in them, and they welcomed me back with open arms and didn't disappoint. I listened to the Civil Wars, who gently guided me home after work each night. I read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which made me aware of things I suppose no one wants to learn but, after the last page, you feel grateful for having been taught. Smart, short new sitcoms like "The New Girl" and "Up All Night" took the place of reality tv, and made me laugh after long days of chores and work and little tantrums. (These shows may be more enjoyable because they are accompanied by a cup of cocoa and a slice of shoo-fly pie. Maybe the ratings people should come up with a way to market that.)

But now I am back clacking away on the keys because I started this thing and I will keep it going. I realize it's important to share when something is felt to be worth sharing, but it's equally important to shoosh and savor the moments. Not everything has to be stated or explained right away. Once again, it all comes down to balance. Equal parts shooshing and sharing. Except for the pie and cocoa...they're all mine.