Thankful

Yes, Turkey Holocaust Day has arrived! A friend of mine asked if my 12 Step Sponsor makes me write a gratitude list on Thanksgiving and I said she doesn't, but this year I did it on my own. So to anyone reading this, you're already on it...today and every day.

The universe
A beautiful, healthy child who loves me and challenges me and makes my heart cry with joy every day (as I rip my hair out simultaneously)
My sponsor
A place to live
Clothes to wear
Food to eat
A job (or two) that supports me and my child
My friends who love me unconditionally
My family (yes today I am thankful for them)
The family cat (man am I in a good mood!)
Having 12 years with the best dog that was ever put on Earth
A healthy body
A (relatively) sound mind
A lot of rain lately
Even though I am not particularly patriotic, I am thankful for living in a country where I have the right to not be patriotic
Having almost 18 years with the most wonderful grandmother that was ever put on Earth
My therapist
My 12 step program
The good sense of humor
Music in every form it takes
Freedom from my addictions
A working automobile
Sun (when it's not too hot)
The opportunities to travel
The opportunities to love and be loved I've received so far in my life and the opportunities I believe I'll receive in the future
The fact that my child has a truly wonderful father, even if he wasn't the greatest husband
An ex-husband who, while not always the easiest person to co-exist with on this planet, could be SO much worse
The smell of fresh cut grass
Walmart, where you can find the cheesecloth you need to make soup at 9pm the night before Thanksgiving
A mind that is open to new ideas and possibilities
Water I drink, water I bathe in, water I've been lucky enough to see in the form of truly humbling, mesmerizing oceans, lakes and rivers.

Going to stop at 31 because it's 2am and I want to get up and go hiking in the morning. Offspring is with ex for two days, mother not in town, brother working. So I'm going to enjoy some solitude and what I hope will be a time of self reflection. But then yesterday, while picking up leeks at the grocery store, I was overcome with all the people running around, the Christmas music, the spirit of the Universe at that moment and the message I got was, "Self reflection and solitude are truly gifts, but so is human interaction and closeness..." so I called my brother and told him I had changed my mind and if he was up for it, I wanted he & I to sit down and eat together today...whenever. He was and so we will and I will still get my solitude before and I'll get more closeness and human interaction at my meeting tonight.
The Universe, as it always has lately, whether I see it or not, has provided me balance.
And I am thankful.