Thankful...

I know this is a day behind, but forgive me. Being thankful is something I try to be all the time, but life sometimes makes it seem like thanks is not the word you want to use. It is in those moments that I chastise myself for not saying thanks. Just this morning was one of those moments...I was shopping with my mom & sister - yes Black Friday shopping, I know = CRAZY - anyway, as I was pushing a buggy around Wal-Mart (again question my sanity when you are done reading this post :) ) I found myself observing other consumers. There were people searching through bins, straining to see around a stranger whether or not the last Kung Fu Panda DVD had been taken, Dear Santa lists floated around, sale papers littered the floor, there were dads reading off lists, moms on walkie talkies, kids talking about where to head next, the air was full of sounds that just enveloped you. I pulled aside a small stand that held men's sandals and just stopped. Mind you I did not block the aisle or anything, but I did make a little niche to just breathe. It was a rushed situation that I could have let really get under my skin. Don't get me wrong it is stressful with all those people seeming to be after the same thing. But rather than truly hate being up at 5 a.m. in a store that I don't go to at a normal hour between Monday & Friday, I just smiled. I was thankful to have my mother & sister somewhere in that store. I am blessed to be surrounded by strong wonderful women. These two often rise to the top of any list of mine. Though the three of us were tired & already a bit wiped out, being together was quite fun. These times make me very thankful.
SO here is my list - though to be honest this is just a handful of things, goodness knows that I probably overlooked something.
1. My husband - Marcus brings me more laughter & love than I could ever completely comprehend.
2. My family - There is nothing like them. I am grateful everyday that God gave me such amazing parents & siblings. For all the teasing, laughter, & love my life is so full.
3. My dog - Peanut in a way stumbled into our lives and we will forever be grateful for his love. Unconditional took on a whole new meaning with this adorable puppy.
4. My friends - life has taken me on some crazy adventures. Most of those adventures have been too far away from those friends that are closest to me, yet the distance has so often seemed much shorter. Phone calls, emails, notes, blogs, all of these things have enabled me to feel like a 8 hour or 15 hour drive is really a 30 minute hop.
5. My home - to have a roof over your head is sometimes a bit overwhelming, there are so many responsibilities, but they have taught me so much about myself.
6. Music - the beautiful tones of a jazz rhythm section, the deep bass and technics of alternative, the sweet melody of string section, country sounds with banjo and fiddle, there is nothing like being swept away with sound.
7. Books - wow! this one is huge! I mean just this year alone: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, The Hunger Games, Agnes & the Hitman... Books allow me to visualize places, people, events, dreams, and desires. They have made me examine relationships, ideas, concepts, and in their simple complexities they have helped me to grow.
8. Art - this encompasses more than just visual art by artists I will probably never meet. Art has inspired me, taught me, judged me, comforted me, stressed me out, cost money, but it never bores me.
9. Modern Medicine (thanks Tracy)- this one is something I have taken for granted almost all my life. God reminded me that there is a reason he created man with the intelligence to follow his instruction and that he created some women with a gift of understanding the body and all its idiosyncracies.
10. Technology - this one makes me smile. I know, I know simpler times were so wonderful (quoting everyone over 55) but technology is allowing me to make this list public, it allows me to connect with #4 on this list, to see #5 in museums in cities I will never get to actually travel to, it allows me to listen to #7, to do research on #8, and to see or correspond with #1 whenever I need to.
11. Fashion - the body is a beautiful thing, no matter a person's size or color, fashion can connect us all in its individuality.
12. Food - um, I know food is 12... after fashion, but you know the mind just thinks in its own order sometimes :) Okay, food... I like to eat. lol
13. Heirlooms - normally this word is indicative of an object, but for me it is more of moments. My mother helping me make a cake or meal, my sister sharing a dream or idea, my brothers teasing voices, my fathers soft strong hands, shared memories of grandparents lost before I had a chance to know them, stories from my family's history. These are my heirlooms.
14. The Beach - the sand, the waves, the salt, the air... I love the ocean.
15. Traveling - there is nothing like a new place to see or a comforting spot that we can visit over & over again.
16. Sunrise - the fact that God has blessed me with another morning to enjoy all of my list again & again.
I hope you all had an amazing holiday... Happy Thanksgiving.