In elementary school, Thanksgiving activities required us
to dress up like a Pilgrim and write down everything we were thankful for.
The list had to include all the big blessings – family,
health, faith. I am extremely thankful for those for sure, but there are small
blessings that make the days go by a lot smoother.
To that end, here's my sideline list of what I'm thankful
for this Thanksgiving:
- Cupcakes. I can indulge my sweet tooth without blowing
my entire diet.
- Free long distance on my cell phone. I remember the
days of watching the clock to make sure we didn't talk too long because of the
expense of long distance. Not anymore.
- Cable. At least 500 channels and, as Bruce Springsteen
said, there's nothing on. Unless you
catch reruns of "The Andy Griffith Show."
- Milk Chocolate. Some candy manufacturers still see the
benefit in making pure unadulterated milk chocolate. Some killjoys are trying
to convince us that bitter chocolate is better, but who are they kidding. Pass
me a Hershey's Kiss any day of the week.
- Children's laughter. A child laughing with
unadulterated joy is the best remedy for anything that ails you. Try and keep a
smile off your face when listening to a 6-year-old howl with delight as a puppy
licks her face. Yeah, just try.
- Leftovers on Thanksgiving. Nothing beats a plate filled
with home-made turkey and dressing, except that second plate Thanksgiving
night.
- Ignorant people. Idiots remind us to be thankful for
the smart people who cross our path.
- The bathtub. It's a lot quicker to take a shower, but
there's nothing like a leisurely soak in the tub after a long day.
- Balloons. A bouquet of colorful balloons signals
somebody has something to celebrate.
- Cotton. Sure cotton shirts have to be ironed, they
wrinkle and occasionally shrink. But nothing, as the commercial says, beats the
touch and feel of 100 percent cotton.
- Back-yard vegetable gardens. As a city girl, I haven't
a clue how to start or maintain a garden. But when a neighbor shares his or her
bounty with me, I am forever thankful I know what a genuine tomato, squash and
cucumber tastes like.
- Campfires. The Texas drought went on for so long, I'd
almost forgotten how relaxing it is to sit next to a crackling fire late at
night.
- Books. I don't care if it's an electronic book, a book
on CD or a paper book. Nothing is better at washing away cares and troubles
than losing one's self in a book.
- The library. The world is literally at your fingertips
either by visiting a library or downloading books from your home computer. For
free.
- Automatic transmissions. Some people don't think it's
really driving unless you're pushing on the clutch and downshifting. Been
there. Done that. Give me the luxury of putting my car in "D" any day
of the week.
- Dogs and cats. I'm not an animal person. We didn't have
pets growing up and I never sought out having a pet. But with a son who adores
animals, there was no way we weren't getting him a dog. And despite my griping
about dog spit, I don't know what I'd do without the comfort and company of ole
Channell. She's a keeper.
None of these items would earn me an "A" in
Mrs. Krenzer's class, but they sure do make daily living a lot less hassle
free. And for that, I am thankful.
No comments:
Post a Comment