Wednesday, November 27, 2013

The ABC's of Thankful



A few months ago, this question was posed to me: If you woke up in the morning with only the things you were thankful for the day before, what would you have? It made me stop and think, and I try and spend some time every day quietly focusing on the things in my life I'm thankful for: my husband, my Little Man, my family, my home and the life I have been blessed with. But on Thanksgiving it's good to remember the little things we should be thankful for--the things that make up life that we often take for granted. So with that in mind, here are my ABC's of Thankful:

A: Adult Conversation.I love my job as a Stay-at-home-mom...but I love to talk to grown-ups, too. So thank you to the guys who work at my husband's office, the receptionist at the doctor's office, and the cashiers at Publix...and anyone else whose ear I've talked off this year.
B: Books.Of course, I'm thankful for things I can read. Without books, I wouldn't have my greatest adventures.
C: Macaroni and Cheese balls. Who invented these things? They should get an award.
D: Dryer. After months of dragging wet laundry to the Laundromat, I am so thankful to have my own dryer again.
I will never complain about laundry again.

E: Ellen DeGeneres. Little Man and I watch Ellen every day, dance along with her and use her actions as an example of kindness.
F: Find a friend app. I get lost a lot. Now my husband can find me on a map and tell me how to get home. Awesome.
G: Giving back: I have been so lucky in my life that I have never wanted for anything.
H: Holding hands.
Nothing better than holding hands with this guy.

I: I Run 4 program. It's a great program that matches runners with children who are sick or disabled. The kids become the "coaches" and inspiration for the runners. I recently got my match--stay tuned next month to hear all about her.
J: Jogging stroller. It changed my life. And it jump started my Little Man's love for running.
K: Kindness. I live in a big, busy city and it always surprises me--and makes my day--when someone goes out of their way to be kind.
L: Love, Actually. One of my favorite  movies--it makes me laugh, cry and everything in between.
M: Music (and hearing my kid sing it). The boy has started to really get into singing, and I love to hear him. Current favorites include "Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas", "Yo Ho, A Pirates Life for Me" and "This Old Man".
N: New places. I've never been a particularly adventurous person, but my husband makes me feel brave and helps me "expand  my bubble", as it were. It's easier to be brave when I know he will always find me (see "F").
I can be brave because I married someone with a much better sense of direction than me.

O: Open Gym at Gymboree. A glorious 2 hour window of time I can let my child loose in the safety of a playroom to climb, run and spin in a circle.
P: Penpals. My best girlfriend moved across the country earlier this year, but we get weekly mail from her and it's made me remember how much fun it is to send and receive actual mail. When was the last time you wrote someone a letter?
Just a sampling of the mail we've gotten. Love her!

Q: Our Wedding Quilt. My mother-in-law, mom and sister-in-law co-conspired and created this amazing quilt that my mother-in-law gave to me at my bridal shower. It's photos of my family and my husband's family and I love it.
Generations of Love.

R: Running: Of course. It has made me healthier, I've made new friends, and I get to go to Disney World. What's not to love?

Awesome ladies I would have never met if it weren't for running!

S: Social media. It's easy to get sucked into a twitter feed, but when I manage my online time well, I love social media. I get to have daily contact with family and friends that live all over the country, and I'm thankful for that.
T: Trains. They make my son so happy. Watching them, building them, reading about them...he is happiest when he is surrounded. And when hes happy, I'm happy.
U: Umbrellas. Because little boys need to play outside even when its raining. And Mommy likes to stay dry.
V: Velcro. Particularly on kid shoes.
W: Writing. If I don't write, I go crazy. The voices and lines and snippets of stories start taking over and its not a pretty sight.
X: Extra sleep. Five years ago "sleeping in" meant breakfast a noon. Now, it is a treat to make it until 7:30. But I'll happily take it.
Y: Youtube. And train/Mickey/Curious George videos on Youtube. Because sometimes Mommy has to get stuff done.
Z: Zoo Atlanta. I'm like a little kid at the zoo. I've been going for over a decade and I never get tired of it.

And an extra: I'm thankful for you, Reader! I love knowing there is someone out there on the other end of the keyboard. I hope your holiday is full of happiness and pie, and that you have many reasons to be thankful.

2 comments:

  1. Love this! What a great way to think about the things you are grateful for. I love my thankful Thursday posts for that reason. I think it's important to be aware of how blessed we are. =)

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  2. I love your thankful Thursdays too!

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