It’s the end of the second week of November and my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter stream is full of “Today I am thankful for” posts (More prominent now that the political posts have died down). While I’ve seen this in my scrapbooking and memory keeping communities for years, it’s the first time I’ve seen it so widespread across a wide variety of communities. For the past few days I would read each one and smile gently to myself. It’s cute that it’s catching like wildfire and those people who aren’t doing it are wondering where it started from.
It’s something I don’t normally post here. I have tons and tons of things to be thankful for beyond the mudanew praises for having a job, a home with heat and locks, food to eat and the blessings of love from people I care about in return. And yes there are days that I’m blessed to feel angry and outraged at others who choose to lead their lives differently. There are so many people with bigger worries than mine! But late last week something happened that reminded me how precious life is and how we need to hold it close. To make each of those memories last because time is fleeting.
Today a friend returned to work to say hello. She’s been gone the last few weeks following a tragedy in her family and I have no doubt spent time searching her soul for an answer. While the visit was brief, it reminded me how easy a life I have. Yes, I do indeed have a house with lock and heat. (Something many people on the East Coast are now without) I have a job that while I’m not completely enamored with the environment, is rewarding in it’s own sense for what we do. We make lifesaving tools for lifesaving teams. I have bills. Yes this seems like a weird one to be thankful for, but it means that I have money and I’m comfortable enough with what I earn to be able to spend it as well. (Not everyone has that ability and are barely able to make ends meet.) I have a loving family who can be trying at times, but they’re here and all I have to do is reach out and they’re there for me. I have my health when so many others do not. (I am continually hearing stories of people falling victim to disease or poor health. Mine is not the greatest, but I’m thankful it’s not worse than it is.) Most importantly, I have a wonderful man in my life who loves me even when I’m my most grouchy, whiny, bitchy self. Who reminds me of what is important in life and what really is just fluff.
This is the man who, when I first met his parents (virtually via Xbox’s Kinect system) responded to my nervous text of “What if they don’t like me?” with sweet words of “I can’t imagine anyone not liking you”. Who showed up to surprise me at the finishline of my last race in an other state because he hadn’t been able to be there for me at other races near and far, short or long this year. I’m told time and time again by my friends that this one’s a keeper and I certainly think so. I just wish I made a point to show him more often. (Yet another thing to be thankful for…)
One night, while finishing my workout, I looked down at my feet. I noticed how dirty my shoes were and for once I wasn’t worried about it. In fact, just the opposite. I was PROUD of the dirt. It told me that I’d accomplished something with these shoes. I had used them over and over again and worn them to this state. I hadn’t just gone onto ebay and bought a cheap pair of shoes that someone else had worn and conditioned. For that reason, I’m rather proud of this picture. It’s my Brooks Ariel running shoes. I bought them this summer and it was hard to spend the money on them. I grew up in that middle class place where you didn’t spend 100′s of dollars on shoes (even though that’s rather common place now). You went to Target and Walmart and Payless to get your shoes. Going to Foot Locker to get shoes was a treat. These days I wonder about that. Was this why I never enjoyed gym class? or was it because the “cool” crowd I longed to be part of were the ones walking. I hated running.
