Still Thankful

For the past several years, I've made a Thanksgiving list of little and big things I'm grateful for. But not this year.

Not that I wasn't grateful, but there were bigger things going on in my life I was not all that thankful for that I had to deal with, which demoted my thanksgiving list to the bottom of the bigger 'to do' list.

But in this peaceful hour as the New Year begins, I reflect back on some of the little things that made me smile last year, and find myself hoping for new reasons to smile in 2014.

And realizing any day is a good day to be thankful, here is my short list:

Waking up in a rush for work, then remembering its Saturday. 

Finding the perfect little Christmas tree. Finding out its only $8- score! Businesses who sell Christmas trees for $8. The peaceful glow of a tiny tree with lights on it.

A neighbor who gives you an ingredient you are missing half way into your recipe. Having the time to cook just for the love of cooking, not because I got home late and I’m starving. Not actually knowing what real starving feels like. 

Frequent buyer reward programs.  A paid off credit card.  Celebrating Christmas by ‘being’ instead of buying.

Running friends who help me get my butt out the door on frigid winter days. Getting into a car made warm by the sun on a cold day.  My wildly diverse group of friends who teach me every day, viva la difference! 

People who put the food divider up for you at the grocery store. People who help seniors put their food on the counter. Helpers. Seniors. 

Little kids who want to go on the biggest roller coasters.  Seeing little faces light up when they meet the height requirement. A little hand grabbing yours because they want to sit with you on a ride. Little kids saying “I wuv you” (insert heart melting here).

People who are told they don’t have long to live, but live on. Appreciating every ‘bonus’ day of our lives. Beating the odds. Placing a 10-1 bet in Vegas in April for the Sox to win it all. Red Sox beards. World Series wins. Aspiring to world peace.  A piece of gold birthday cake with buttercream frosting from Coffee Time.

Familiar routines. New adventures. Doing. Learning. Exploring. 

Vacations that recharge you. Looking at vacation photos and videos that bring you back to that moment. Getting excited when I recognize places I’ve visited when I’m watching TV. Doing something new ‘just to say I did it’. 

Being strong enough to do push-ups and sit ups. Having the discipline to actually do them.  Strength of character.  All the great ‘characters’ I’ve met in my life.

Seasonal honey dipped cider crullers from ‘you know where’.

Strangers who make eye contact and say ‘good morning’ instead of staring at their smart phone.  Pleasant people. Being pleasantly surprised. 

People who ask if you need help when your car hood is up. Being able to say “no thanks” because I can check and fill my own oil.

Having access to a gym and showers at work. No excuses. Discovering I can catch up on reality TV on my kindle while running on the treadmill. Not having to talk Doug into watching Project Runway at home anymore- score! 

Fist pumping. High fiving. Not being left hanging like Tom Brady. 

New hopes. New dreams.

A new year.

Thanksgiving Once Again

This year passed with alarming speed. A year seemed like a month, a month like a day, and an hour just a blink. As a child, I counted the seconds between seeing the lightening and hearing the thunder to determine how close it was (one-one thousand, two-one thousand…) If a similar calculation existed to know how close we were to our own end, I wonder if we’d spend less time on “have to do” and more time on “want to do”, or if we’d get so caught up counting the days we have left that we’d lose them in the process.

Four years ago, in a nod to Thanksgiving, I whipped off a list of things I’m grateful for, both large and small, and I’ve continued the tradition with a new list each year since. Strung together, they are the rope I hang onto when I need to slow down the passage of time (one-one thousand, two-one thousand), and I am thankful for each and every one of them.

Parents who hold hands with their children as they walk them to school. Things you can’t learn in school. A little mitten holding onto your hand. Kids whose hats fall in their faces when try to look up at you. Kids who skip for no reason. Skipping a boring meeting.  Meeting friends after a bad day at work.  A good day at work. Working out. Working it out. Making a living. Making it work.

Weather forecasters being wrong about a big storm. Weathering the storm. A beautiful day. Beauty in the eyes of the beholder.  Springing into action. Leaves opening on the trees in the spring. Discovering a great view the leaves were blocking after they fall.

A cool pillow on a warm night. A warm comforter on a cool night. The perfect weather of warm days and cool nights. A morning sky full of kaleidoscope colors that takes your breath away. Taking a deep breath. Clearing your mind. Speaking your mind. 

Belly laughs that make your sides hurt and your eyes water. Being tickled. Tickling your fancy. Little girls wearing fancy dresses. 

Christmas music in July. Jimmy Buffet music in January. Old disco at a wedding. Remembering your old moves. Thinking that you’ve still ‘got it’ even when you don’t. Surviving a company move. Having a job to move to. New digs. New kicks. Kicking a bad habit. Starting a good habit. 

A day spent not looking in a mirror. Being OK with what you see in the mirror. Being fit. Not having to fit in. Fitting into skinny jeans. Short shorts in summer. The short version of a story when I’m busy, the long version over a relaxed dinner. Shortcuts. Relaxing dinners.

The smell of fresh baked rolls at Subway. The smell of cinnamon buns at Cinnabon. Rolling out of bed to the smell of coffee brewing. Cinnamon in my morning coffee. A morning run with friends.

The first few chews of gum before it loses its flavor. The first snowflakes that melt as they hit the ground. The first few months of a relationship before it loses its glow. Not losing the glow. Healthy food that doesn’t make you lose your appetite. A healthy appetite. Comfort food. Being comfortable in your own skin.

A perspective changing vacation. Changing your mind. Changing over your clothes for the season and finding something you forgot you bought last year, score!

Dogs who patiently wait for their owners without being tied up. Little boys wearing ties. Cutting painful ties. Drivers who let you cut into traffic. Cars not blocking the intersection. Not having a mental block. Inspiration. Sincerity.

Making memories. Being memorable. Giving credit where credit is due. Fighting the good fight. Putting out fires. Not starting them to begin with.

A feel good story. Feeling good. Having good vibes. Playing old 45 records. Breaking a record. Not breaking a promise. Not being afraid of making a mistake. Knowing what you need to do. The courage to actually do it. Words of encouragement.

Faith in the afterlife. Restoring your faith in mankind. Being kind. Being at peace at the end.

 

Peace.

The End.

 

Thankful, Part III

This is the third year I’ve shared a list of things I’m thankful for. This past year proved more challenging than most, and I feared having to skip this year’s column and hope for a better year ahead. But as it turns out, being thankful is less about having a lot of great things happen to you, and more about reflecting on the small things that make the not so good stuff bearable. So once again, I humbly share my 3^rd annual thankful list.

Being humble, not having to eat humble pie. Lemon meringue pie. Kids who run lemonade stands. Seeing your friends’ kids grow up. Seeing your friend’s kids have kids. Kidding around with them. Still feeling like a kid on the inside. Accepting what you look like on the outside. Being outside. Acceptance.

Confirmation of acceptance to the Boston Marathon. A strong tailwind. Feeling strong, physically and mentally. Getting out of something what you put into it. Not putting anyone out. Not fearing the unknown. Knowing something for sure. Contentment.

Exercising your right to vote. Having rights. Exercising. Climbing Mount Washington. Not making a mountain out of molehill. Turning a negative into a positive. Turning a wrong into a right. Not always needing to be right. Not being needy. Good news when you desperately need some. A massage when you desperately want one. Knowing the difference between need and want. Not being desperate. Just being, for a minute.

Bubble baths. A fluffy bathrobe. Dark chocolate. Those last three things, enjoyed in that order.

Having nothing to hide and nothing to lose. Going for it. Big ideas. People who say things like “What’s the big idea?” People who give back to their community. Community service. Getting great service. Extended business hours. Expecting to get a bill for service and receiving a donation to charity instead.

Generous donors who make special events possible. Believing anything is possible. Not having flooding rain during your charity golf tournament. Friends who come anyhow, and make it a record success.  A successful track record.

Drivers who let you pull out. Drivers who wave thank you when you let them cut in. Plenty of parking. No traffic. Not hitting the Kernwood Bridge. No wait for a table. No line at the registry. Realizing the police car behind you is not pulling you over.

Dreaming about going to Paris with friends. Going to Paris with friends. A trip that lives up to the dream. Dreaming of going back. Visiting Normandy. Remembering those we have loved and lost. Remembering how fragile life is. Living it. 

Fresh air. Friends you can be fresh with. Friendly competition. The competitive spirit. The spirit of giving. Realizing the best gift is not a present. No time like the present. Good timing. A whole day spent not looking at a watch.

Watching funny videos. Using your credit card points to buy a video camera. Making your own funny videos. Making fun of yourself. Friends who pretend you are funny.

The calm before the storm. A snow blower after the storm. Not losing your power. Not losing your cool when you do. Surviving the storm. Surviving a layoff. Knowing when to lay off of someone. Not laying it on too thick.

An invitation to an exciting event. Not getting invited to a boring event. Things that turn out better than expected. Finding out the new way to do things really is better. Butter.

Raking a big pile of leaves then jumping in it. Not getting injured doing aforementioned. Reaching into the pocket of a coat you haven’t worn since last year and finding $10. Score!

Escaping a close call. Escaping the office for lunch. Chipping in with the office for a lottery ticket. Dreaming about what you’ll do with your riches. Not giving up on your dreams. People who say “living the dream” when you ask them how they are. Sweet dreams, and someone to share them with.

Teaching old dogs new tricks. Teachers. Old dogs. Letting sleeping dogs lie. Lying in bed and thinking of all the things you are thankful for before you fall asleep. Thanksgiving. Giving.

Thanks for reading.