It's Thursday and I'm Thankful......

Today I am thankful for thankfulness. For the attitude of gratitude. For the act of counting your blessings, naming them one by one (do you remember that children's song?).

It's November and if you are on Facebook much you may have noticed there is a lot of gratitude floating around out there. At least there is on my news feed. Lots of my friends and family sharing the things they are thankful for. And it just makes my heart smile.

I love reading the simple, the silly, and the serious gratitude statements. Friends who are grateful for parents and children, morning coffee and afternoon wine. I love how the act of giving thanks, of reading the thanksgiving of others can lift my spirits. So today I wanted to share with you some of my favorites from my news feed.

These are from my sister Dawn:

• I am thankful for the time I had with my mom in the weeks before she passed away and thankful that I was able to be by her side holding her hand as she passed away. It took a long time for me to see the second part as a blessing but it honestly was.
• I am thankful for my bed! I've missed my bed since I got out of it this morning...thankfully it's about time we rekindle our relationship.
• I am thankful that my children live in a world where their future is determined more by their actions and decisions and less by the color of their skin, the way they look and their sexual orientation. They can be anything they want to be and I hope we are teaching them to chase their dreams and work hard for what they want. 

The following are from the 3 beautiful daughters of my friend Aimee. I have never met these girls, but I love them. I love the way their precious little minds and hearts see the world. (Alexandra is 6, Victoria is 4, and Francesca is 3)

• Alexandra is thankful for:
•  my brother, Joey
•  the zoo
•  I can read! :)
•  Thanksgiving turkey

• Victoria is thankful for:
•  Cinderella and Disney
•  the color blue
•  rose petals
•  bells

• Francesca is thankful for:
•  rainbows
•  Christmas trees
•  cows
•  Momma

And finally we have my friend Veronica, who has a way of making me really stop and think about how I view the world around me.

• I am thankful for difficult work because the difficulty brings growth and positive change. Without challenges the breaks could not fully be appreciated, and I do so appreciate the breaks. :)
• I am thankful for time. Time to learn and grow. Time to change and stay the same. Time to forgive and love. Time to remember and have peace. Time to be and appreciate. Time to be thankful for time.
•  I am thankful for so many things. I would like to become thankful for everything, even those events in my life which make me scratch my head and wonder why. So tonight I am thankful for sadness that brings out the beauty of special friendships. :)

As for myself, I am thankful for the chance to share the uniqueness and beauty of these ladies with you.  I am grateful that through Facebook I can be blessed and uplifted by their words. It is an incredible gift, this ability to peek into the hearts and minds of people who have become so special to me. So, thank you Dawn, Aimee, and Veronica for giving your permission for me to borrow your words. And thank you for touching my heart. I love you all.