A few days a go a friend posed this question… What would you have today, if you only had those things you were thankful for yesterday? I am afraid my answer is, nothing, I would have nothing. This made me think about being thankful, and my lack of appreciation. I have so much, when others have so little. I am blessed with so many great people around me, when others have no one to turn to. How can I be that ungrateful?

That is the crux of the issue. I have a lot, but don’t take time to appreciate them. I am reading a book called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. In the book as an exercise she crafts a list of One Thousand things she is thankful for. Now I don’t know about a list of One Thousand, but here in no particular order are things I am thankful for today…

Cinnamon Buns

My daughter, who was crying this morning because she couldn’t get her hair right before school

My Wife, who fixed it

Coffee

My other daughter who is rarely phased by anything and wore shorts to school on a frosty morning.

Good friends

My church

Peanut M&Ms

Popcorn, the movie popcorn, not microwave

Did I mention Coffee already?

Cows, who give us steak

Mushrooms and Onions to go with that steak

Ceasar salad

Brene Brown and her insight into my life

Forgiveness, cause I mess up so often, I appreciate when people accept my apology

NFL football, I like to escape into something that is fun and yet trivial

Steve, Scott and Eldon, They are there if I call.

Sun shining in the window

Rain at night

That smell after the rain, like a new world

fresh snow, blanketing the streets

melting snow, signalling spring

a comfy pair of shoes

my wife’s laugh

Her Smile

The touch of her hand

the rest of her too

Coffee

Lemon Meringue Pie

Sour Cream Glazed Doughnuts

The look on someone’s face when they first see you and are glad to see you

The bittersweet tears of goodbye, so long and farewell

Sappy Movies

A good novel

This life that I get to live, it is precious and amazing, I am so sorry I mess it up with so much me in it, but I am so thankful that I have it, that it is a new adventure every day.I am in love with the joyous pleasure of experiencing all that this life I live has to offer.

I am trying to be more grateful for the things in my life. Maybe we all should be, maybe it will change how we look at the life we live.