MonkeyPants

Thankful.

Part of me wants to rebel against being thankful on Thanksgiving, but when it comes down to it, I’m pretty thankful all the time. There are people who have more than I do in this world, but there are so many who have fewer both tangible and intangible blessings. All in all, I have a huge number of reasons to be thankful.

There’s a turkey in the oven right now. There is stuffing and potatoes and broccoli for the green. When the bird comes out, E will pull out his Mad Gravy Skillz and go to town. Having enough to eat. There’s something I’m thankful for. Not just today, but even days when the fridge is ‘empty’ and all I eat is an egg sandwich. What looks ‘empty’ to me, still gets me fed.

I have a warm place to live. I may groan about the heat vents or the shower, but when it comes down to it, any extra that I could want is a luxury, really. What percent of the world’s households own dishwashers anyway?

My brain works. Granted, not always as efficiently as I’d like, and I still can’t speak Government. But I have the ability to understand situations, to empathize. I can analyze and synthesize. I have mad creative impulses. I have my Irony Meter, Inner Angry Pinko, and Inner Cynic. I have compassion in goopy buckets-full. I tend towards optimism. I am decidedly lucky with my brain.

I’ve got pretty amazing friends. They let me share their triumphs and challenges and creative onslaughts. I never really knew how important it was to be part of a community until I realized that I don’t have friends the same way other people have friends. I have friends who don’t care-who even cherish!- my nerdy side, my creative side, even my lose-the-plot Drama Queen side. I think that’s rare and wonderful.

I love my dad and my brother. Granted, we baffle and annoy one another. But we are working out the kinks one at a time. We are learning to communicate with each other. That’s something amazing.

Then there’s E. I have this kind, thoughtful, funny, creative guy. I know I confuse him sometimes, but he sticks with me. I get to share my life with someone who loves me in my failures as well as my successes. He’s there for me, no questions asked, all the time.

For all these reasons, I give thanks.