giving thanks

so many mornings I've left a sleeping husband, tiptoed past the sleeping baby's room, and made myself a cup of coffee--coffee in hand, reading blogs, checking Facebook, seeing what's on the news.  today is no exception.  I'm not a snuggler, nor a sleeper-inner like my husband, so the mornings where I don't have to be to work early are deliciously my own.

today is a day about giving thanks, about American history, about the Pilgrim way, about turkey and cornbread stuffing and cranberries.  it's about the Thanksgiving brunch we'll be enjoying with my mom's family, then the dinner to follow with Charlie's side.  it's about community, it's about my sleepy coworkers leaving their families to bring equally sleepy residents to the breakfast table, and Bev scrambling to make pureed turkey and Thanksgiving treats for the folks at Prairie View. 

it's about remembering why we get up in the morning.
it's about being mindful of our call in faith and freedom to live thankfully and in grace.

today I mindfully compose a small thankfulness list, things I am grateful for every day that may go past the wayside when caught up in the rush of life, things that make my heart sing:
--my incredible family, the Chapmans and Freemans and Matsons, and the many ways they support and encourage Charlie and I to be better partners and parents.  through texts, visits, phone calls, surprise dishwasher emptyings, free childcare, cups of tea together and more, we are shown love by our families every day.
--for friendships that go beyond time and distance.  I love being able to pick up the phone and reconnect instantly with the people I love, knowing they feel the same way.
--for friendships of that wonderful small-town nature, reminding me where I grew up.  I love seeing the coffee girls at my mom's cafe, the people who check in with Lydia and me at the grocery store, people I have known of my whole life asking to see wedding pictures, that love/attention from our community makes me smile.
--good food for our family, and the time and money to nourish our bodies.  I am grateful that I can put a healthy, home-cooked meal on our table for most meals.
--my places of employment--they have truly made me a better person each day I go to work.  I never thought I'd enter the realm of social services, but now that I'm here I can't picture leaving.

a simple list, I could add so much more...what are you thankful for today and every day?