Sunday, November 23, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving, I offer you this list. It is not exhaustive, but it is true. I hope that as you read this, my list, you will take a moment to meditate on what you are grateful for.
20 things (because 20 has a nice round notion about it) I am grateful for:

1. My family. More specifically here, the creativity that has been fostered and expected within my family, in all sorts of ways, from my grandmother's painting to my nephew's cooking, from mom's doodles while she was on the phone with her sister to my sister's ceramic pots, from great-ancestor's quilts to my cousin's piano accompanying, we are a creative family. It allows me to play with words, with fabric and with ingredients at will without ever feeling I am wasting time or accomplishing nothing.
2. My friends, who have accepted me, loved me, housed me, fed me, entertained me, listened to me, laughed (with and at) me, introduced me to new ideas or new music or new authors or new people, and just generally (and all the time specifically) made this world a better place for me.
3. My years living abroad in Europe and Africa. I was lucky to have done what I've done.
4. Dr. Marshall M Parks and the miracles of this Wesurgeon's hands that operated on my eyes not once but 3 times, so I'm not wall-eyed and can see out of both eyes.
5. The women of Briggs Baptist Church who chiseled within the foundation of my faith as a child that gender has nothing to do with my service to God and my roll within the church. Just do the job I'm meant to do and be the person I'm meant to be.
6. Nora Roberts for writing romances that made me laugh when I was in high school. They couldn't all be about desperation and maimed men and sardonic eyebrows and rain-slicked anoraks.
7. Words. And whoever first came up with the idea that they should be used to tell a good story, and not just report the best hill for tasty roots or where the saber-toothed tiger was last seen.
8. Re-runs. I love watching M*A*S*H* and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and early seasons of NCIS; these shows are like Macaroni and Cheese, warm and filling.
9. White-Chocolate-and-Raspberry Cheesecake and Key Lime Cheesecake.
10. My job. I may complain about it from time to time, but seriously. I am employed and paying my bills is still a sweet pleasure.
11. Libraries. I rarely go to one these days, but I have borrowed books, been to lectures, watched filmstrips, written, studied, and been amazed. All in libraries. (and now I am wondering why don't I know more librarians? )
12. The Rockville 8. Women who laugh and write and drink and support and read and inspire and create and did I say laugh?
13. Friday Night Videos because I did not have cable or M-TV or HBO as a kid, and I had to rely on FNV to introduce me to the visual feast of Peter Gabriel and The Police and Thomas Dolby and the list goes on.
14. And while we are on the subject of the 80s, I am grateful that I got to see The Who and the Police and the Eurythmics and Talking Heads all before they turned 60 (or 50 or perhaps even 40), and their voices dropped an octave or so.
15.  Weekends and that I no longer work three jobs. The sweet pleasure of sleeping in and drinking coffee in my jimjams while sitting in my big chair with my feet propped on my hassock and nothing to do but walk my dog and figure out what I'm having for dinner.
16. The idea of Hero and Heroine. That the world still has a goal, a zeal, a notion to be better, to be more, to become.
17. Dogs. Mine is sweet and funny and cuddly and old and such a beta animal.
18. Parks and open space and woods and forests and gardens and places to go outside that are beautiful and fresh and green. (especially if I only have to do the walking, sitting and enjoying)
19. Pioneers. People who go forward and try and do it first and pursue the unknown, be they women like Amelia Earhart or Beryl Markham, or Hearty Pioneer men and women who hopped on covered wagons and headed west, or my direct ancestors who actually got in the boat so I didn't have to.
20. Retreats. Writing, religious, sewing. I am grateful for the weekends away with like-minded women and men, to pray, talk, write, brainstorm, create with others.



5 comments:

  1. This fall I've been keeping a gratitude journal. In addition to being thankful for whimsy and writing dates and autumnal "sweet light," I cherish the time I spent today at lunch with my brother, mother and her partner, the crew I've worked with the past ten years, and the anchors of my writing tribe - the good women of the Rockville 8. Happy Thanksgiving, Mx. So darned delighted to know you.

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  2. Such a beautiful list, Marjanna. Thanks for posting it here. Thankfulness is important all year, but this Thursday is a great opportunity to pause and acknowledge--just like you've shown us by example.

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  3. What a delightful post, Marjanna. Beautiful. And so candidly laid out. You remind me of many of the things I, too, am and should be thankful for. Thank you. Cultivating a heart of gratitude is so important, and I don't take enough time to do it on a regular basis. Loved the insights into your life. Made me feel warm and cozy, and, well, just a little grateful myself. Hugs!

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  4. What a great list, Marjanna! I love it. This time of year always makes me feel like looking at what I can be thankful for. That's why I don't like all the Christmas hype before Thanksgiving. It's good to pause at this time of year and consider all that you have. I like the quiet, happy feeling of this holiday. Thanks for giving us a good one to consider. XO

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  5. How ever you slice it (that's a pie-related joke - also works for cheesecake as in #9), this list is absolutely lovely. You reminded me to be appreciative of all things, great and small, which bring comfort and happiness. Hugs to you for this post! :-)

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