Thankful for. . .

I am thankful for. . .

. . .my family - both the one I was born into and the one I gave birth to. These people touch my heart, my soul and my every inch of being in so many glorious ways, how can I not be thankful?

. . .my faith - it sustained me through the hard times and given me extra reason to celebrate during the good times.

. . .my friends - so many of them are mere extentions to the aforementioned family. How wonderful is it to have people love you and to love by choice, not by blood.

. . .our good health - need I say more?

. . .the freedom to disagree - coming off such a hot political season its good to remember that as much as we may vehemently despise the other view point, we are blessed to have the freedom to say as much. Its a God-given right so many young men and women have fought for us to keep access to. I'm thankful for those fighters too.

. . .the beauty of nature - being a Jersey Shore girl I always feel at such peace near the ocean. The sounds and smells of the Atlantic can soothe life's rough edges.

. . .technology that allows reach beyond borders - so many beautiful people have entered my life through the border busting Internet. Friends that I'd never have known if it hadn't been for technology.

. . .food on my table - even its too tempting to eat in light of pound dropping dreams or something icky like brussel sprouts because at least its food and its mine to access.

. . .my job - as much as it can drive me insane, its work I do enjoy to do and it allows me to earn my income and have my time with children.

. . .the ability to dream and do despite gender, race, creed and so on - regardless of your politics, you must admit that its pretty damn great an African American woman can take the important, high-powered mantel of Secretary of State. It wasn't all that long ago such an appointment would have been a pipe dream. I am a moderate that leans right. I like Condalezza Rice. I dislike Hillary Clinton. Regardless, I hope someday my daughter will look to these women and others like them and realize that she can be anything in the world she wants to be.

. . .for my struggles - Its said the best quilts are like life. They balance dark fabrics with light just as life balances hard times with happy. Its only with the dark fabric included that we can truly appreciate the beauty of the the light ones. When the quilts that fail to include both the light fabrics look washed out and blah. The hard times in my life make me realize how blessed and lucky I really am. They make the good things/times that much more spectacular.