Most every year at Thanksgiving, I post a long-winded list of all the things I’m thankful for. It’s an exercise that forces me to pause and think about all the little things in life that I too often taken for granted.
If we’re fortunate enough to have a roof over our heads, enough money to live comfortably, and good health, that’s really all we need. But the little things — the intangibles — are what really make life worthwhile. That’s the list I’ve posted every Thanksgiving, and which I add to every year.
This is the original list, posted in 2013:
I am thankful for:
My husband, my kids, having a nice home and enough food for the table, my cats, my karate family, my job, friends at my job, good neighbors, good health, my family’s good health, my terrific in-laws, my father, my siblings, the color and crunch of autumn leaves, flowering trees in the spring, rain on the porch roof, Easter baskets, Tiny Tigers, line-dried laundry, lilacs, Christmas Eve snow, sunshine, Friday summer nights on the porch with a beer, sunsets, thunderstorms, warm summer rains, starry nights, blankets in the winter, fires in the wood stove, weekends, Christmas lights, writing my blog, hugs, leaf piles for jumping in, crisp new sheets, the summer breeze that comes in my bedroom window, daffodils, baby giggles, holding hands with my husband, memories of my mother, picnics, camping, hot soaking baths, the WOFs, fog in the valleys, puppies and kittens, spooning, Christmas trees on Christmas morning, cinnamon buns right out of the oven, my mother’s banana bread recipe, reading a good book, the sound of crickets in summer, strangers who return my smile, warm apple pie, watching Glee with my daughter, my new Barry’s family, baby snuggles, naps, after-dinner walks, sleeping in, “Caledonia,” my kids (I know that’s a repeat, but they continue to make me proud), hiking, fuzzy pajama pants, rainbows, my cat keeping me company while I write…
Three years ago, I added:
new friends, coffee and a newspaper in the morning, Friday nights at Barry’s, cool summer sheets, birds at the bird feeder, Tom, Sarah and Mike, my kids (yes, again), writing my column, all of my readers, sunrises, making people smile, the sound of crickets, wildflowers, the aroma of fresh-baked apple pie, ice cream anytime.
Two years ago, I added:
I am thankful for my new karate family; my new Tiny Tigers; my children Sean, Sara and Erin (again); my new(ish) daughter-in-law Sarah; Tom and Nick; hanging laundry out in the middle of November; my health; the ability to run; the freedom to travel; my misfit WOF family; Irish music and my Irish music friends; getting to play roadie; touch football with my pub family; my CFC friends and workouts; going to hockey games with my family; Sunday afternoons sitting at my computer and writing.
Last year I was able to add to it AGAIN:
This year, I am thankful for my Schlegel and Plank North elementary colleagues, hugs from kindergartners, a child’s innocent smile, the Barry’s Runners, my kids (again), admiring Christmas lights on a winter run, biking the Erie Canal Trail with friends, hikes in the woods, music, silence, waking up every morning with the man I love, being able to travel, Friday nights at the pub (and occasional Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays), the smell of flowering trees in the spring, the peacefulness of a pine forest.
You’d think that would just about cover it. But life gets better every day. All you have to do is sit back and notice it.
And so I would like to add the following this year:
I am thankful for a husband who cooks, being able to wear a cape to school, helping children experience the joy of reading, having a lap cat when I type, traveling with my husband, riding my bike through strange cities, running with old friends, running with new friends, thank you notes from my readers, my new fire department friends, my kids (again) and their significant others, and being able to make a difference by doing what I love to do best — write.
Feel free to add your own. And happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
* * *
email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram
You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.
The 
joined the board members at the podium as Mayor Byerts read the official document. There were a lot of “whereas”es and at least one “let it be known,” but the gist of the document were these paragraphs, which related to Carol’s work with the Webster Herald:
Later in the meeting, after most of the well-wishers had left, another notable event happened.
webster on the web 