This is the week we pull the giblets out of the turkey cavity, peel and mash the potatoes and pull out the once-a-year recipes handed down for generations or pulled out of the Taste of Home magazine. This is the week we get an extra day or two off to stuff ourselves with tryptophan-laden turkey, plop down on the couch and search for the next football game. This is the week we give thanks for family, friends, faith and our founding fathers. So much about this week is cherished but too predictable.
I think it's time to give thanks for the things that give texture and meaning to our lives, the things for which we really should be thankful for. Ready to start your list? Here's mine.
1. I'm thankful for my leaky, tiny, single-car garage. Because of it, my mortgage is manageable enough to allow me to put money away for my kids' education.
2. I'm thankful for the blush of red that comes to my cheek whenever my Grammy brags me up to her friends as just "the smartest, the nicest, the prettiest girl." Despite the embarrassment I feel, she's shown me unconventional love and has believed in me when I didn't believe in myself.
3. I'm thankful for the boredom I feel from time to time. It motivates me to learn something new, try something new, and reach out to learn something new about another person.
4. I'm thankful for the sassiness my kids show from time to time. Despite the frustration that makes me want to pull out my hair, I know I'm raising kids who both respect me and have a mind of their own.
5. I'm thankful for the tiny lines around my eyes when I smile. They demonstrate I've lived long enough to let the petty frustrations and jealousies of my 20s evolve into the acceptance and confidence I'm enjoying now. I'm so much more interesting than I was 10 years ago.
6. I'm thankful for the mistakes I make daily. They mean I'm still learning--and wouldn't life be a terrible dull if we knew it all?
7. I'm thankful for the holes my son made in two pairs of jeans in five days. The holes demonstrate he's living his life to the fullest.
8. I'm thankful for the concussion I received last Sunday when learning how to curl. It's helped me realize how I've taken my health for granted and that too many people endure chronic pain daily.
9. I'm thankful for the dust on my picture frames. It tells me I'm spending some quality time with my kids.
10. And, yes, I'm even thankful for that bit of fat around my middle. It tells me I lead a bountiful life where I don't have to worry I won't find food to eat for me or my family.
Are there things in your life that may not seem like blessings on the surface but that actually suggest a richness you hadn't considered? Take a few minutes to write them down. My guess is that you'll find a happiness and tranquility to make this Thursday one to make you feel truly thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving!