11.26.2010

gratitude

i know i'm a day late but i still want to share a little bit of thanks. it's been on my mind for days i've just been too busy to get on here.

i am grateful for....

the alarm clock that wakes me up at 5:00 am each morning, because it means i get another day to live.

waking up each morning with 3 cats and a dog in my bed, a terrarium with a turtle inside at the foot of my bed, and my little fish in its bowl on the nightstand next to my bed.

the angry people who yell at me over the phone all day, because that means i still have a job.

the people who are nice to me over the phone and who actually take 5 minutes to hear me out, because it makes me remember there are still nice people in the world; and i rethink the way i treat people.

the way it feels when i sit down at a piano and my hands know what to do with all 88 keys like it's second nature.

the woman who never had the opportunity to do that but wanted it so badly she sacrificed everything necessary to give it to me instead.

knowing what it feels like to get a stomach ache from eating too much food, because it means i always have more than enough to eat.

that cute, skinny, redhead with double jointed fingers who is the only person as weird as me who, loves me as if i were her own child and i honestly couldn't live without.

sleeping on an air mattress for 3 months straight because now i actually appreciate my bed.

my taped together, hand-me-down phone because it gets the job done day after day after day.

the soldier in afghanistan who is constantly supporting every crazy idea i can come up with and who listens to all of my girly drama with the patience of a saint from the other side of the world and whom, through his quiet example, teaches me what sacrifice and faith are all about.

putting 30 bucks of gas in my car on a weekly basis because it means i have a means of transportation.

that beautiful blonde girl with impeccable taste, a sense of humor who touches all she meets and who makes my heart happy every single day.

that feeling when i hit mile 3 of my run when it feels like i can keep going for ever, because it means i not only have legs that work great but the rest of my body is up and running...literally :) something i often take for granted.

my own personal big foot who loves me unconditionally, who beats me in the face with a pillow or tickle tortures me till i laugh myself sick, who gives the best hugs on the planet when i need them most and who is continually encouraging me to be my quirky little self because he's seen me at my best and worst and knows what i'm capable of becoming.

the little reptile who quietly munches on a bowl of lettuce bigger than his whole body and comes out of his shell to watch me get dressed every morning without fail.

the manly, scratchy, hoarse voice i'm dealing with because for the first time in my life i'm appreciating the voice i was given.

my adorable chief rat, with her awkwardly large teeth in her little giggling 7 year old mouth, with an attitude and ambition that the world should be prepping itself for. always making me laugh. always reminding me what i live for.

every stupid boy i've ever thought i loved only to have my little heart crushed time and again, because it's made me better, stronger and made me love the boy who will actually get my heart all the more.

stabbing contacts into my tired eyes each morning because it means my eyes still work and there's a way for me to see clearly.

the all natural, polish dog loving, gorgeous brunette who cackles like a witch, who will always be my opposite in every way but will always be a great friend and example to me in ways she doesn't even know.

all 5 of the females i have to fight over the one and only bathroom with, because i couldn't live my life without each and every one of them. or the bathroom. ha.

beautiful music that tickles my soul 100 times a day. if not more. and the elf-like ears i use to listen with.

that npr loving man who has provided everything i've ever needed for 22 years and counting and who, without a word, teaches me hard work, patience and humility.

the ability to look at words and know what they mean without even thinking twice about it.

the missionary serving in seattle, washington who has strengthened my testimony in ways he will never know and who i miss so very much; especially when i eat a pop tart or catch a glimpse of my jedi braid.

the 1/2 inch of regrowth i have to color each month because it means i can still grow a full mane of hair.

the teeny tiny girl with auburn hair and freckles that match my own who's got a sense of humor far beyond her years and who's quiet, calm presence creates a peace second only to heaven itself.

picking up a comb and a pair of scissors and being able to help friends and strangers feel like they can face the world for another day.

that boy with the crazy hair who i can text any time, day or night, who knows how to tease and to love just enough, who supports me through consistency and also supports my favorite fast food eating habits every time he's in town.

staying home alone on a friday...because it gives me some time to think and recoup and knit and show my uke some love....and remember how much i love john mayer and his clever words and heart melting melodies.

that little instrument with four nylon strings that makes my sad days sunny.

the little black and white cat with crazy big eyes, a spot on her left nostril and a broken tail, who came and found me in a park one night....i thought i was doing her a favor by giving her a home and some food, but really she was helping me more.

that imaginary boy with the lightning bolt shaped scar who has been my best friend through all of the awkward, lonely phases of life.

the biggest perfectionist on planet earth who is always driving me crazy but always making me a better person through her unspoken encouragement and endless love. no person will ever love me like she does.

crying till my head hurts because it means i'm learning something.

laughing so hard my abs are sore the next day because that's what it's all about.

that book i read each night, no matter how tired i am and even when i don't feel like it, when i'm sad and lonely, when i'm scared and trying to make a choice, when i'm happy and life's okay....always making life make sense.

the person who loves me more than i will ever fathom, who gave the ultimate sacrifice in my behalf, who gives me a reason to hope, to live, to love, to work, to get up and try one more time each time i fall down, who is at my side to lift me when i no longer have the strength and who celebrates each of my accomplishments as if they were his own...my ultimate example and closest friend.

knowing he's just a prayer away and he always hears me no matter what.

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