Thankful

I've always loved Thanksgiving. It easily rivals Christmas as my favorite holiday. They are both special in their own way, but there is something to be said for lots of amazing food; ample time spent with family, where the most taxing activity is deciding whether to watch football or a movie; no stress around buying, wrapping, or shipping gifts; and no jam packed schedules. And this year, more than ever, I am reminded of what the season is really about: gratitude for all of our blessings, big and small. With that in mind, I thought I'd share a few of mine:

• A funny, supportive, exuberant, and loving husband
• The health and safety of my family - who are also loving, supportive, and generally awesome
• My own health and safety - I may have been beat up a little bit over the past few weeks, but I'm doing just fine and am hopeful for a complete recovery
• Medical insurance and good doctors, which allow me to get better in the first place
• A roof over my head and heat when it's cold out (or AC when it's hot, as the case may be here in Austin where the high was 83 today)
• Access to plentiful, wholesome food and clean water
• Caring friends, from both near and far, who come out of the woodwork and show their support when you need it most
• The ability to step back and realize that although my life isn't perfect, I have more than enough in so many areas of my life and that I am truly one of the lucky ones
• And of course: trashy television, DVRs (with which to enjoy said trashy television), red wine, dark chocolate, extra stinky cheese, and totally engrossing novels

And with that, we're off to Portland to celebrate with my family. Happy Thanksgiving!