With only 19 more entries left on this blog, I spent the evening thinking of the things for which I’m REALLY grateful. I figured nineteen…in honor of the countdown:
1. Ollie: This kid is truly the light of my life. Every day I look at him and am amazed I could raise a little being so freaking funny and smart (and undeniably adorable, even if I am his mother and I have to think he’s cute!)
2. My Soon-To-Be-Baby: Luckily Grey and I got prego easily and I’ve had a cakey 9 months of being with child. Fitting this little turkey is going to pop out so close to Thanksgiving.
3. Grey: The thought of marriage used to make me feel like I was being buried alive. It amazes me that I somehow got lucky enough to find a man I adore (and coerce him into marrying me). Plus, after knowing him for nine years, I still find him as hot and sexy as I did when we were drunkenly dancing to Neil Diamond the first night we met. I didn’t even know that was possible.
4. My Parents: Jack and Deb must be the most supportive people on the planet. There’s not many human beings who would continue to love me even if I suddenly turned into a serial killer, but my parents are those people. Plus they’ve put up with my bitchy and ungrateful attitude since day one, so that’s pretty nice.
5. My Little Bro: Despite the fact I used to lock him in the dog cage when he was a small child, we have always been extremely close. He’s the person closest in genetic makeup to me and we share the same exact sense of humor. I’d give him a kidney if he ever needed it and I’m sure if one day he ever gets really really wealthy, he’ll bankroll me. And vice versa.
6. My In-Laws: The fact that I lucked into a family as loving and generous as the Pfarrs makes me wonder if I accidentally sold my second born child to the gypsies. What did I do to deserve such a great other set of parents and sibs?
7. My Erie Girlfriends: Some of my closest, bestest BFFS are from Erie. These are girls I’ve know for more of my life than not and who have seen me through my awkward stages of teenage acne and wearing of high waisted tapered jeans. Again, more people that would love me even if I suddenly turned into Hannibal Lector.
8. My Non-Erie Friends: Despite growing up in the bubble of Erie, PA I managed to make friends like a fully functioning adult and wind up knowing some truly hilarious and gifted people from places other than Western Pennsylvania. Every day I consider myself blessed to know friendly folks that share a common appreciation for filthy jokes involving the word “penis.”
9. My Health: I take for granted that have all my teeth, my limbs, and generally good genes. Thankfully, I’ve never suffered from any scary diseases like elephantiasis or leprosy.
10. Makeup: I often think that if I was born in Puritan times, I would have been a creepy old maid. Without my mask of liquid foundation and eyeliner, I’d most likely have been shipped off to the convent at age ten or forced to marry an elderly man with one testicle so I could raise farm pigs. Scary.
11. My Education: This list is no order — it’s just a coincidence that makeup comes before education…The fact that I can read and write and work a computer and do basic math and sometimes guess the final question on Jeopardy makes me feel extremely privileged.
12. My Status as a Middle Class American: Sure, it’d be nice to actually have one of those 401Ks every keeps talking about, but any financial issues I have are still the stuff of a gal living in a first world country. I don’t have to worry about fetching clean drinking water or how I’m going to keep my baby warm.
13. The Internet: What did people do before they could Google things like, “Best Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe” or “Rehoboth Beach to Annapolis directions?” Talk about a huge convenience. I use it daily and it’s become as much of a modern convenience to me as a flushing toilet. Maybe more so.
14. Modern Technology: In addition to computers, how great is it to have a car to drive places and an oven to cook with? I can’t imagine having to smoke salted pork for the winter or rub to sticks together for fire. Yeah, I think the world’s gotten a bit too complicated for its own good, but, I do appreciate the good things that come with that fact.
15. Razor Blades and Hot Wax: I’m afraid I’d be considered some sort of wolf-boy-woman if not for my trusty Gillette and facial waxing services at the local salon.
16. Good Luck: Somehow luck or Jesus or a Higher Power or magic seems to be with me. I’ve pretty much gotten what I’ve wanted in life (Well, except an invitation to prom from Jamie Peitras, that job at The Gap I wanted so badly, and being shafted at the school play try-outs in 9th grade). All my unreached goals or former dreams seem to have worked out for the best now anyway.
17. My ADD: I think in being unable to focus on certain things has made it easy for me to not concern myself with stressy situations. It’d be nice to finally complete a project, but the fact that I can totally disassociate myself from pressing problems makes life pretty darn carefree.
18. Semi-Stability in the World: As I write this, no asteroids or nuclear bombs are set to destroy the human race…it’s nice being able to count on the sun rising tomorrow morning at 6:31.
19. The Small Stuff: All the little things (and big ones) that I’ve forgotten to mention here because it’s 11:50pm and I’m exhausted!
I also am really grateful for pretty stuff like this sunset... Writing this post felt uncannily like my 11th grade Ethics Class paper, "Testimony to My Uniqueness" (Sorry for the length!)
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Tags: ADD works for me, Ethics class, facial wax, good luck, Gratitude blog, if I were a Pilgrim I'd have been a nerd, makeup has changed my life, manifesting good luck, Middle Class American, Naked Thanks, positive thinking, Razor blades and hot wax, Rhonda Byrne, thank god for makeup, Thanksgiving, The Secret, Things for which I am most thankful, THings I've Grateful For, What are you thankful for?, What did people do before the Internet?, world peace
This list pretty much made me cry, in a good way. I’m so glad we decided to do this blog! I can’t believe, and I mean CAN’T believe, we only have 19 days left.
I KNOW. 18 more to go…wah??