The Annual Flaunting of Gratitude
[Listen to an audio version of this blog here.]
In the spirit of Thanksgiving traditions, the following is my annual list of platitudes & gratitudes. The annual flaunting of gratitude has become my one and only Thanksgiving tradition, celebrated and beloved by myself and myself alone.
This year, I'm thankful for:
Airplanes, despite the horrifying and often putrid process of flying.
My family, for obvious reasons.
Other families, especially the ones who color-coordinate button-downs for the annual holiday photo courtesy of the local JC Penny's.
My body, for not breaking even when it probably should.
Mike Mike, who I have known barely more than a year but who reminds me, every day, that love is real, that good men exist, and that I shouldn't have that third cup of coffee if I want to sleep well tonight.
My lack of crypto-currency.
Coffee, for fueling my mid-morning, half-crazed bouts of productivity.
The girl at Starbucks who correctly adds an "h" at the end of my name.
My tiny, perfect cat who is soft, squishy, stinky, and entirely germane.
Books because I'm convinced they are the only thing saving society from ruin.
Mountains for being imposing and impossibly beautiful and challenging and home.
Time for never stopping.
My lack of a presence on Twitter.
Underwear, especially new ones.
Trees, for creating air and making urban environments infinitely more tolerable.
White noise, for drowning the sound of other humans.
Podcasts, except not the stupid ones.
Silence, for inspiring more silence.
Poetry, for (sometimes) giving me goosebumps and (sometimes) confusing me and (sometimes) infuriating me.
Love, because what would a heart be that's never been broken?
Nightshade vegetables, just out of spite to the anti-nightshade folks.
Turpentine, only because it's fun to say.
Acrylic paint, for drying quickly.
Washing machines that don't require quarters.
Funny people, of which there aren't that many.
Tissues.
Cruciferous vegetables (we all know why).
The option to buy non-organic produce.
Boats, because they seem more romantic than they really are.
The color red, which is the big brother of the color pink, which, as the youngest, is the favorite. But it's nice to appreciate an origin.
My ability to think somewhat rationally and halfway clearly. Being not dumb goes a long way.
Shower caps and bathroom stalls with doors that actually lock
Shampoo that looks like a bar of soap, which is a recent discovery of mine and quite fun.
Doctors, for usually knowing things that the rest of us don't.
My friends, obviously. It feels like I shouldn't have to write this.
Chapstick, for teaching me that not all addictions are dangerous.
Folklore that may or may not be true, like bigfoot or the loch ness monster or Elon Musk.
Sunscreen and lotion; berets and umbrellas.
Teeth that are not rotten and falling out of my head.
All the people who like to create things even when their creations don't make them any money, or nobody ever sees them, or nobody ever cares.
P.S. Watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, read up on the history of the turkey trot, or read about some of the most obvious benefits of gratitude here.
xoxo
Sarah Rose