Being Thankful

This week has been really good for me and I have a lot to be thankful for. It's easy to be thankful when the sun is shining (although it's stormed for the past 2 days!) and all is well. Much more difficult to be thankful when it's not going "your way". Even then, I always find something I'm thankful for at the end of the day, even if it is just the fact that it's the end of the day (hee hee!). However, as noted above, this week there is a lot to be thankful for.

1. My husband -- Tom is a wonderful provider. I never imagined not bringing in an income and found it quite humbling when I took severance from Shell 5+ years ago to be "dependent" on someone else. Tom makes it easy for me. I am not an extravagant shopper, which I'm sure helps, but I have freedom to spend as I see appropriate.
2. My girls -- who could ask for more? No, they are not perfect, but I would not want them to be so. You gotta have spirit to do anything worhwhile, no? But they are good girls and I pray that they continue to develop as they've done so far with strong morals and values.
3. My home -- ok, New Orleans isn't my favorite place to live, but we have a great house in a (relatively) safe neighborhood with nice neighbors. We're comfortable here. Yes, there are things we'd change, but this is good for us.
4. What's around me -- I am definitely a girl for a city (or at least suburb). I like having big stores near by. I like having a wide assortment of choices when I shop, be it for groceries or clothing. I like having 2 movie theaters close-by. I like having live theater (both community and "professional") close enough that's it not a production to get there. I LOVE that the airport is 15 minutes from my house, but that I'm not in the immediate take-off/landing zone. And there are several coffee shops nearby.
5. My church -- I've found a home. Full of people I like to be with -- none of us are perfect, but we're all doing our best and striving to live as God wants us to (at least how we believe He wants us to).
6. My friends -- I've never been a friend collector -- I keep things inside. That said, there are many people around who I can count on if I need something -- be it carpooling, a ride somewhere, or just a chat over coffee or lunch.
7. MANY other things -- my parents, my sister, the rest of my family, my in-laws who've always made me feel welcome, my cat, the country I live in, etc. etc.

Count your blessings every day, no matter how few of them there may be on any particular day!