Thankful...

I always have a hard time digesting the vast amount of thankfulness that comes in November.  Maybe it's my quest to be different.  Maybe it's my un-American way of disliking Thanksgiving.  Maybe it's because while the world is saying they're thankful, the stores are preparing for the onslaught of materialistic capitalism.

Most of the time, I feel thankful.  Not just in November, but in my daily life.  I know my life is blessed.  Perhaps too many blessings to fit in a month.

But I will weigh in on the thankful-palooza...

Perhaps this is just my pragmatic side speaking, (yes... I'm not all dreams and rainbows) but I think the most important thing to be thankful for is good health.  You rarely hear this.  It is, of the many blessings, the most important.  If you don't have your health, how can you begin to enjoy the others?  So I am thankful for my good health.  I am thankful for the health of my family and friends.  This is the foundation for everything else.

While my life is rosy and good, I resent that I cannot socially complain because that makes me ungrateful.  Just because someone else has it worse, why can't I be unhappy with something?  Isn't this often the very power that forces us to change?  Improve?  Accept?  I am thankful that I don't always see my glass half full. 

Many circumstances in my life result from hard work and good choices.  What I am thankful for are the surprises.  The unexpected occurrences.  The serendipitous moments. 

I am thankful for many unexpected things:  children's laughter that leaks out at the wrong time, connecting with someone you didn't expect, warm feelings you get from others, loyal friends that stand by your side, and those oh so bittersweet moments.

Basically dreams and rainbows.