The Art of Being Thankful

As you all well know, this past week/weekend was a time of celebration for many. Bobby, Emily, and I celebrated Thanksgiving on different days with both my husband's family and my family. We gobbled delicious treats and way too many carbs, caught up with people we hadn't seen in a while, and enjoyed the sound of children laughing and playing.

And as much as we enjoyed our celebrations, I am reminded that being thankful should be practiced daily. Just like painting, writing, or baking fabulous pastries or cakes; just like public speaking, lace making, or wood carving; just like jam making, singing, or gymnastics, being thankful is an art form. Being thankful doesn't come automatically. Being thankful isn't something people necessarily notice in others, but it is something that we need more of.

Too often we get busy with our day to day jobs, chores, and responsibilities, and we forget to appreciate all the little things. So this year, I made a list of things ten things I am thankful for year round.

1. Family (especially my husband and daughter)

2. My home (that has both heat and air)

3. Plenty to eat (too much actually)

4. Good neighbors (especially the ones who don't complain when our leaves blow into their yard)

5. Well maintained and running vehicles (that have both heat and air)

6. Friends (who rejoice with me when things are going well and pray for me when things aren't)

7. The ability to pursue my passions (like writing, cooking, photography, and volunteering)

8. My three cats (except the other day when I stepped on a hairball that blended in with the rug)

9. The man who invented toilet paper (seriously, I would not be a happy camper if we still had to use the Sears And Roebuck, corncobs, or leaves)

10. And the Good Lord above who made the other nine possible for me when he brought me into existence

I am also thankful for my home town library where every couple of weeks I find a stack of books to bring home and review. This week I particularly enjoyed a book called Night Job by Karen Hesse. A beautiful and simple story that reminds us to think about and appreciate people who work while we sleep to make our world a cleaner and better place. It is the story of a night-time school janitor told from the pov of his son and if you haven't read it, I highly recommend that you do!

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

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