Not your obligatory Thanksgiving post

I pondered long and hard over what I should write here today. It is Thanksgiving so it seemed appropriate that I write some sort of obligatory "I'm thankful for" sort of post. Somehow though that seems to cheapen the sentiment.

I mean yes it is what you do today. You sit down and you make a list of all the things you are thankful for. You say how thankful you are that you have a job, and a house, and loving friends and family, and a wonderful significant other, and fluffy pets, and cool toys, and good health, and so on and so forth. I am thankful for all of those things, but I say that most days. This is not a surprise to anyone. I really don't feel that this needs to be reemphasized.

So as I sat on my couch this morning, wrapped snuggly in my fuzzy red blanket, watching the fog on the golf course as my cats snuggled close and purred loudly, I thought on what exactly is it that I am thankful for that I don't actively admit to most every day. This seemed like a task that was going to be more difficult than it should be. I did manage to come up with several things.

I am thankful that the husbeast is unemployed. I am not really thankful for the loss of income or the queasy uncertainty that fills our future from the lack of employment. I am however thankful for the freedom of burden he feels. I am thankful that the almost debilitating stress that has plagued him the last six months is now gone. I am thankful that he smiles with more ease now. I am thankful that his future is open again to better opportunities. I am thankful that he has the chance to grow.

I am thankful that my kid is pursuing her dreams. I am not really thankful that she is possibly going very far away for a very long time. I am however thankful that she is being brave and going after things she loves. I am thankful that she is tapping into her vast potential. I am thankful that she is reaching for all the things she so richly deserves. Most of all I am thankful at how happy she is.

I am thankful that my brother and his wife are back in Texas. I am not thankful for the fact that he still travels so much that we never see him despite him living only 30 minutes away. I am however thankful that should the need arise he is right here again. I am thankful that they are not trapped in Atlanta with no one near by. I am thankful that we can visit just because we want to and not have to make some crazed elaborate plan to make it happen. I am thankful that they feel at home at last.

I am thankful for terrifying new opportunities in life. I am not thankful that I lose sleep over the ideas in my head or the thought of leaving everything I know and love behind. I am however thankful that I can still dream. I am thankful that my goals and aspirations can grow and change. I am thankful that I have the support of amazing loved ones to pursue things even if they were to take me away from them. I am thankful for the courage to try even if things never come to fruition.

I am thankful for so many other things in my life that I do not have the time to write them all down. While I am thankful for this blog and all of you who read it, I am also thankful for everything in the here and now. With that thought I have to go bake some banana nut bread so that the husbeast can have a warm slice when he finally wakes up.

Happy Thanksgiving, and may you all have much to be thankful for.