“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart
I’m posting the second of my weekly blogs a day early and here’s why. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving so I thought it would be fun to invite you to share what you’re grateful for. But then I realized that on Thanksgiving and the day after I’ll be away with my family at a cabin in the woods where there’s no Internet. Next thought: What if lots of people are writing all these wonderful things they’re grateful for and I can’t approve their posts because I’m away with no Internet? Then they’ll all think I’m ignoring them and they won’t like me! My blog will be a complete failure and no one will ever come back! My mind goes to all kinds of crazy places, which you’ll learn about over time. Maybe yours does too and you’ll help me feel more sane by sharing?
So, I invite you to share today instead of tomorrow. That way, you can spend your entire Thanksgiving day making sure you get all the lumps out of the mashed potatoes. Nobody out there likes lumpy mashed potatoes, do they? But you can also share tomorrow or any day after that too, of course.
I’ll start. I’m grateful that my parents, husband, and kids are all healthy and that we love each other and have fun together. I’m grateful that we’ll be away together with no TV or video games for two days. Just good old fashioned Scrabble, Monopoly and cards. I’m very, very grateful to have so many fabulous girlfriends and mentors. I’m also grateful for quinoa, soft new sweatpants from Old Navy, my dog’s willingness to cuddle anytime, and the fact that my kids are old enough to deal with their own poop. I’m grateful that I just lost 5 pounds, even if it creeps back again as usual. There’s so much more I could write about but I wanted to keep this short and sweet. What I’m most interested in is reading about what you’re grateful for. Please share!
PS – I would also be grateful if you join me on Facebook! www.facebook.com/patricia.mann.969
10 Comments
I am grateful that I am a survivor. That my parents instilled in me the fact that attitude is all you have control over. Clever wit. Laughter. The sweetness of my kitten. That my daughters value the important things in life. Running water. Feeling balanced. Friends that make me want to be a better me. Kindness. Roomba. The smell of fresh laundry.
And finally, taking a moment to think about what really matters…
Inspiring women. Hotel pens. A good man. The example set by my mother. Independence.
I am thankful for my parents. They have set such a wonderful example of marriage and family for their children. They have encouraged their daughters to become strong independent woman.
For my son’s cuddles & kisses and the smell of his breath when he sleeps.
That I can distinguish the seasons by they way it smells outside
That my husband thinks I am sexy (even though I never feel that way)
Reality TV
Friends who are more like family
Family that are friends
To have a job that I LOVE!
Health
That I live in a city where I can wear flip flops all year long.
Currently I am thankful for diet pills 🙂
i am thankful for great friends, family, and work life… holy crap this world is an adventure, glad to be a part of it!
I am so grateful for the life I have and the many people in it that I am so lucky to know and love. Grateful that I can hear the music my children make and read the books they write. Grateful to have the best partner who makes me laugh and feel and think and who shares everything in such a way that LIFE IS SO GOOD.
Thank you all for sharing what you’re grateful for! Some of my favorites are being a survivor, hotel pens, the smell of a son’s breath when he sleeps, seeing the world as an adventure, and hearing the music our children make! I look forward to hearing more from all of you. Please join in the discussion tomorrow as I post my first blog on marriage.
I am so very grateful that my kids want me to lay with them at bedtime. It doesn’t matter what kind of day we’ve had, it doesn’t matter if I’ve been not as patient as I’d like, it doesn’t matter if we’ve yelled at each other….at bedtime they say, “will you lay with me Mom?” And I am grateful that I am there to do it each and every night.
That is beautiful, Michelle! I feel exactly the same way with my kids. So thankful they forgive us for our cranky moments and still want their cuddle time with mom – even my teenager. I will miss that terribly when they outgrow it.
I am thankful to have married my best friend. For single malt whisky & a good book (Is this all there is?). The opportunity to travel. A job that allows me to educate, support & mentor young women & families. The determination to finish graduate school (a strong support system). To live in a country where I have the right to vote & elicit change. Friendships with people I have never met in person but have connected with in print.
Beautiful, Mimi! I’ve never tried single malt whisky, maybe that needs to go on the to do list for 2013. Wish we could have one together – if I wasn’t so far away! I’m thankful for those friendships as well – especially people like you – so grateful you took the time to read my book and write such a thoughtful and articulate review.