In honor of the holiday, I have listed ten things for which I am truly thankful.
1. I am thankful that I’m not you. It has taken me nearly sixty years to be happy with who I am and to be content with my own life. I can honestly say that I am not jealous of anyone else because I have come to the understanding that everyone has problems. Fame, fortune, and fabulous good looks do not exempt anyone from pain.
2. I am thankful for my large extended family. I admit some family members drive me crazy! Some of them make me ashamed. Some of them baffle me completely. But we’re all connected and related by love and blood.
3. I am thankful for my husband- my best friend, lover, and companion for thirty-seven years. We’ve had our ups and downs, but I’ve never regretted our decision to marry. I am committed to our relationship and I enjoy our life together. I hope we have many more years together!
4. I am thankful for my children. They have enriched and improved my life in ways I just can’t enumerate. I am so proud of them and the lives they have made for themselves. They are good people!
5. I am thankful for my friends. Each person I meet adds something to my life. Those who choose to be friends are priceless treasures. How would we learn and grow and change without the actions and opinions of others? How could we possibly live without the support and understanding of our friends?
6. I am thankful for my health. With all my whining and moaning, I am still cognizant of the fact that I am blessed with good health. Although I’m often in pain, and I’m still bothered by this eye problem, I am rarely sick. I can still walk. I can see and hear and think.
7. I am thankful for my career. I go to work each and every day with a positive attitude about what I do because I know I’m in the right profession. There are a lot of people who will never be happy with their work.
8. I am thankful for this place where I live. It suits me. I like our small town. I like the little house we are renting. It soothes my soul to see the pond in the morning and watch the cows graze. I spent decades surviving in the city, but I was never truly happy.
9. I am thankful each day for a hundred little things that make life so interesting and exciting. We only have to keep our eyes open and our hearts sensitive to appreciate how blessed we truly are to be alive.
10. And leaving the best for last, I am thankful each day that I have the blessing and peace of knowing Jesus. Without my faith and my Lord, I’m not sure the rest of my list would matter.
Comments