Opinion : \'Tis the season to be...Thankful

In the business of life, it seems we never just have the time to sit and appreciate.  

If things go badly, we are in complain mode in 2 seconds flat. 

Get a flat tire, and the whole day is thrown off kilter.

But on the days that life is good, the kids aren't fighting, the meal didn't burn, the car actually started and delivered you to your desired location, do you think to stop and say a simple, "Thank you"?

The trend with some of my friends on Facebook is to write a thought, on Day #1 of Thanksgiving, Day #2 and so on. 

This year, it's easy for me to say what I'm thankful for.

Mostly still for this opportunity.

For a job that doesn't at all feel "job-ish" but more like a huge group of friends getting together every day to swap news, and occassionally swap pictures of the kids.

But most of all, the feeling of community it has brought, is something I can say I haven't seen in other communities we've been in.

I find myself cheering everytime we get a bit of good news to pass along, and groaning with the bad news. smiling along with the folks who have something to smile about, and crying with those that share a loss.

It's been an odd sort of 'getting to know ya'  format, but I absolutely love it.

This week we got a note from a guy that said,"Totally sucked me in and put me another 10 minutes behind!  Quit with the interesting stuff, will you?" as well as a nice note from one of the advertisers.

Those are the things that give us another shot in the arm for another few months. 

Often, at least for me, I don't actually "see" anyone, I just talk to everyone online.  Occasionally I see someone in the store, and give them a huge smile and "Hello!" and I get a weird look that says, "Who is this crazy person?"

But more times than not, if I'm with Dean, people will start up conversations with him, and when it's done, USUALLY he will say, "that was...." at which point I can put a face with my e-mail address.

Apart from the privilege of working on this website, I find each day, I'm more thankful for my family, for the health we all have, and for little things in life. I find myself holding my breath a little each morning as the girls do the customary "tail count" to make sure all the cats are there and thankful that yes, all the felines made it through the night, probably more so we don't have brokenhearted little girls, but it's also kinda fun to open the door, grab a ball of fur and hear it purr.

Things like living in the country, something 10 years ago was sooo far out there as a possibility, and then as things moved so quickly we went from city kids, to country kids...which also makes me thankful for the neighbors in the country who have put up with our naive way of trying to do things out here.

I'm sure they drive past, laugh and shake their heads, and out of the kindness of their hearts, or the fact that they can't stand to see us muddle through whatever we are trying to accomplish out here, will lend a hand.

We have a lot to be thankful for.

So on what is supposed to be Day #7 of Thanksgiving, take a second and find whatever it is that makes you say, "Thanks!"