What I’m Thankful For
I don’t know if you noticed or not, but I didn’t post anything last week. I was having a little crisis and, as an introvert, I have the need to go inside myself for a while to make things make sense. When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I don’t want to go anywhere, talk to anyone, answer the phone, I don’t even want time to pass. I’d like it to stand still until I can catch up. This is when I appreciate most having things to do like painting the house or raking leaves. But time does go on, so, in the spirit of the season, I’m focusing on things I’m thankful for.
I’m thankful for our Father in Heaven without whom we would not exist. He has shown me great love and given me many wonderful gifts.
I’m thankful for my loving families: the one I was born into, the one I married into, and the one my husband and I created.
I’m thankful for trees and leaves and seasons, birds and ladybugs, oceans and rivers and turtles, and blue skies with big puffy white clouds.
I’m thankful for rain.
I’m thankful for wild places and the beauty of nature.
I’m thankful for those who love me, despite my many shortcomings.
I’m thankful for two little boys who call me grandma and one little girl who is just beginning to talk.
I’m thankful for their mother, who became a part of our family (on purpose, God bless her!) and has added a layer of richness we didn’t know was missing.
I’m thankful for an overcast day when I’m driving into the sun.
I’m thankful for indoor plumbing.
I’m thankful for books that transport me to another place, another emotion, another point of view, and to the people who write them.
I’m thankful for people with green thumbs who plant gardens and add immeasurable beauty to the world.
I’m thankful for all those who put on a uniform, keep us safe, and stand up for what is right.
I’m thankful for homegrown tomatoes in the summer and canned ones in the winter.
I’m thankful for forgiveness and the kindness of strangers.
I’m thankful for things made of brightly colored glass.
I’m thankful for tractors with scoops and forks and bush hogs.
I’m thankful for colors that live up to the promise of their name like Morning Zen, the shade of green on the bedroom walls I wake up to every morning.
I’m thankful for words and sentences and paragraphs and things that help us communicate. Good communication builds bridges.
I’m thankful for beach stones and the way they feel in my hand. Smooth. Calming. Real.
I’m thankful for math. (Yes, math-really!) When nothing else makes sense, math does.
I’m thankful for life. All life. My life. Waking up each morning to a new day and the promise and possibilities it holds.
Today, I’m especially thankful for all of you out there reading my words and sharing yours. There’s no point in doing this without you. You being you inspires me to be me. Thank you!
I won’t be posting next week because of the Thanksgiving holiday. I’ll be spending the week cleaning and cooking and spending time with some of my favorite people. Wishing all of you a day you can truly be thankful for!
Please share with us something you are thankful for in the comments below.
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Oh, Carol. I know just how it is, having to go inside yourself, and finding the way in through very tactile, focused physical labor.
I always tell people I’m an “extroverted introvert.” I love being with people, socializing, being on stage, acting, storytelling. And then? I want to SERIOUSLY Go To Ground. Solitude is my battery charger and my first aid kit.
I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving next week. Every year we invite anyone who wants to join us, so every year we have a different crew around the table. And at some point during the meal, I always stop the conversation and ask everyone to go around the table and say something about what they’re thankful for this year. It’s a beautiful, moving, sometimes hilarious, always wonderful tradition.
Annie, what a fun tradition you have! I tried the ‘what are you thankful for’ thing one year, long ago, and I think the answers were something like turkey, pumpkin pie, gravy, cranberry sauce…. Maybe I’ll give it another shot this year! In the mean time, I’ll get to setting up my ‘fortress of solitude’ (my office) just in case I need a minute or two of recharging during the festivities! Enjoy your holiday!
That is very lovely
Fey, I’m totally thankful for you, the mother of my grandchildren, and the daughter I always wanted (and now have). We totally lucked out when we got you! Love you!
Love this Carol. Like you I’ve been so busy that I am just getting around to reading this. I, too, am so thankful for many of the same things you are thankful for. I will keeep this short and just say thank you for your blog and your writings. I love being on this site even if it takes me over
a week to open the link. May God richly bless you and your family during Thanksgiving my friend! Happy Turkey Day.
Thank you Susan! I appreciate your kindness and also wish for you and your wonderful family many blessings. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
As I sit here, going back over the last couple of weeks I find much that I am thankful for. I also find a few things that are deeply painful. I have to remind myself often that these painful bits of life are a sign of growth, and therefore will probably show up on my thankful list in time.
Thanksgiving here was filled with the joy of a growing family. (I’ll be a grandmother for the second time in February.) Two days after Thanksgiving we had my daughter’s baby shower, another day filled with family, fun, and laughter.
As I look forward to the up coming holiday I am struck with a sense of urgency to find a way to heal old wounds. These will be the things I will add to my thankful list in the future.
Lou, I am thankful for you, my sister, and for the insights you are gaining. Be thankful for the painful things, they do help us stretch and grow and see things in a new perspective. Without fire, the clay never becomes a useful vessel. Love you sis.