“…Gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

Happy Thanksgiving, gang! I hope that you all have plans of delicious togetherness warming your hearts this Thanksgiving eve. If you do not, you should come to my house. We’ll make room.

In the meantime, I hope we’re all taking the time to actually give thanks for the blessings in our lives. Turkey dinners are all well and good, but that’s what this holiday is really for, after all.

Here are a few of the things I am feeling especially grateful this year… I hope you’ll add yours in the comment section.

• All the same things as last year. And the year before.
• Sweet potatoes, done right.
• Theo Epstein & Company
• Cute outfits.
• Leftovers. On an average day, leftovers aren’t all that exciting, but I always enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers more than the original feast. Turkey gravy bread… mm-mm-mm.
• Modern amenities.  I sometimes wish I could live in the past, but I am profoundly grateful that I do live in an era where there are airplanes and electricity, and I have indoor plumbing and the right to vote. These are not insignificant advantages…
• People with pretty voices.
• Awesome, random memories. Like bumping into Lou Piniella in New York City, and getting the hiccups scared out of me in Colonial Williamsburg, and kissing a black snake.
• Photographs. Especially ones depicting aforementioned awesome, random memories.
• Crunchy leaves. Yellow ones. And orange ones. And red ones. But not brown. Brown are pretty boring.
• My adorable, feisty turtle friend, Taser. And my cats, even though they have been pretty annoying lately.
• The unoriginal/most important stuff: My family (immediate and extended), my friends, good health and a roof over my head. These are the things I tend to take for granted on a day-to-day basis, but they really are the most important. I am a tremendously blessed individual.

***

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought,
and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.
-G.K. Chesterton