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...
You write that Thanksgiving is without religious overtones, yet you wrote a lovely prayer of thanks, an expression of gratitude wrapped in the love of which prayers are most properly made.
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