As some of y’all may have noticed, it’s Turkey Day, during which Americans traditionally gorge on flightless fowl, observe the throwing of pigskins, and give thanks to Yahweh for their blessings. While I am happy to attend the festivities, I don’t participate in any of the three central rituals. Turkey is not to my taste (I’m a ham and venison man), football is so boring that, if I am ever being tortured for missile launch codes, I fully expect to be forced to watch the Superbowl; and since I don’t believe in supernatural entities, I’d be talking to nobody when I gave thanks for the things I am happy about.
But that’s not to say I’m not happy about anything. I am. For one, I love my wife. I don’t always like her–there are things about her I simply can’t stand–but she’s a living exemplar of synergy, greater than the sum of her parts; the simple thought of her makes me smile, and she’s endlessly fascinating to me.
And then there’s our baby, born earlier this year. She’s fighting with my wife for the number one spot in my heart. Even more than my wife, she makes me want to be a good man, something I am not by by nature inclined to be. But for her I want to be Gandhi, St. Francis, Odysseus, Spider-Man. I want to make the world perfect for her. Since that is beyond my capacity, I will have to settle for making myself the best daddy I can be.
I am glad for family, and friends, and the Dope’s dopes. I am happy for health, and for backup-plans and hidey-holes when our original plans don’t work out. I am happy for goofy pets, even though they have their bad habits. I am happy for my hubby, who puts up with MY bad habits.
Well, let’s see. I’m fortunate enough this year that I have today and tomorrow off as paid holidays. So, precious, precious time to veg, clean, read, and do whatever I like. My church choir (it’s UU, shut up) starts working up Christmas music, and I luuurrrrve me some Christmas music. I’m not into the food as much as I used to be. I’m kind of relieved not to be involved with a Thanksgiving dinner this year, but I do miss the chance to see family (they’re back in California). Overall, though, it’s a win.
I just got the letter she wrote me. We usually email, but her computer is broken. I feel terrible because I moved and now I am not there to fix it (over the phone: “OK Granny, try pressing the Alt, the CTRL and the DEL button at the same time” - “What?! I don’t have three hands you know!”). I am so grateful to get a letter.
I miss her. She is always always there for me, I can’t count the amount of times I have had to escape to my Granny. I’ve even brought heart-broken friends to stay at her house for a few days.
She is so ready for every crisis in my life. I’ve shot films at her house. She saved up 100 milk bottles for one of my plays. She has helped me move countless times.
She is so brave, because she is always working on bettering herself. She is becoming less conservative (how many old people can say that?!). If there are gay animals, then maybe it’s not such a bad thing after all. She is working on hugging better. She is working on her relationship with my mum, trying hard to mind how she phrases things.
And for these past few months she has been working on who she is without my Grandpa.
I am so grateful to have a Granny. No need for any god, I am just grateful to her.
Thanks Skald. Not being American, I wouldn’t normally have thought about that on this day. It feels nice to be grateful for my Granny!
I kept thinking about what I’m thankful for over the last two or three days but until seeing this post it hadn’t occurred to me to consider the question in the context of being atheist.
I’m thankful for the amazing note I got from a friend yesterday afternoon, and the brief chat I had with another. I’m thankful I got better a couple months ago - I was pretty sick, what I had carries a 27% mortality rate, but now I’m just about fine. I’m thankful my work is plentiful and interesting. I’m thankful that in a couple of hours I will have a houseful of healthy family.
Oh, yeah - atheism. I’m thankful there aren’t any gods, because if existence was a charade for their amusement, somehow that would tarnish the effort, make everything seem pointless. You see, I’m also an antitheist.
I am thankful for my daughters first and foremost. They make life worth living a thousand times over. I am also especially lucky in that I never have to worry about money ever again thanks to my great grandfathers. It isn’t everything but it helps. I am also thankful that I am single and that I have a good job contributing what I can to the biomedical industry and can help save people indirectly every day. I am also thankful for my health. It was almost certain at one point that I wouldn’t live to see today but I am all clear now.
I’m glad to be married to a wonderful man. I’m an okay person, but he’s something wonderful.
My mom called a few hours ago. She’s getting older but she’s still healthy, still vibrant and fun, and we might see her over Christmas. That makes me happy.
School is going well, even with the whacking huge paper I have to write this weekend.
I decided to try eating gluten today, and no bad effects.
And there is a piece of pumpkin cheesecake in the fridge. My life is spectacular.
Thankful for my Mom and sibs and thier families.
Thankful that I’ve been employed and beyond that, worked a lot of OT this year.
Thankful that my 13y.o. dog has had another good year and is in good shape.
Thankful that I had a great feline companion for 14 years, and his passing in Aug. went pretty well.
Thankful for four more years of non-GOP leadership.
I’m glad that I’ll never have to say the words “President Romney” in a non-fictional manner. Actually, that’s the second-biggest thing to be thankful for. The biggest is that I’m still alive (albeit slightly less intact), when a little less than a year ago, that wasn’t such a sure bet.
I’m thankful primarily for family, friends, and health. Also to be employed, in a job I like, with people I care about. I’m thankful to live in times that are still by and large peaceful and prosperous, and hopeful that ever more people will be able to say that at this time next year.
Not much different from what believers are thankful for!
It’s late, I’m the last man standing and I’m browsing Youtube for covers of Wonderful World. My cats are napping, I have a mostly full pack of smokes. It’s a good night.
I’m glad I live near the Cleveland Clinic, and my aortic valve replacement and quadruple bypass surgery turned out so well. And I’m grateful to the cow who donated her heart valve (not that she necessarily did it willingly). And I’m grateful for those who helped out in the time following the surgery, and all the well-wishers.
And I’m grateful to the U.S. voters who made the right decision.
And I’m grateful to the additional states that support same-sex marriage.
Though Obama wasn’t my first choice, I’m thankful that Romney didn’t win. Also kinda glad that Republicans and the over-religious types continue to make asshats of themselves.
Glad to see weed and gay marriage more legalized. And education partially funded in Cali.
Stoked that the Keystone XL project was stalled, but have no faith that it will be altogether stopped.
Heartened to see a tremendous public response to oil-injured pelicans earlier this year, and public donations to Sandy victims later this year.
Grateful that I have an awesome family to spend Black Friday hiking with instead of worrying about consumer goods.
Not to be cheesy, but I am really grateful for the SDMB. If I could only choose two sites on the Internet to keep, it’d be Wikipedia and the SDMB.
A lot of things I’m thankful for, but the one that dwarfs all the rest is the fact I’m married to an extraordinary human being who is just as loyal and devoted to me as I am to him. There is so much about him that I love. He is so gentle, and kind, and good. After ten years of partnership I still feel like a silly teenager sometimes, because he is amazing and I can’t stop thinking about him.
I’m mostly grateful for my new friends. (Not that there’s anything wrong with the old ones!) They are so open and welcoming. I know that this thread is for atheists, agnostics, and other skeptics, which is funny because my new friends tend to be a bit into the woo side of things. We spent a lot of yesterday talking about Mercury in retrograde, how to honor the goddess, and who in the room had the best psychic abilities. Eh, it’s all fun, and they were cool with me offering a more grounded perspective. And there’s so much love in the group that I feel really at home.
And of course my family, who I will see in just a month.
And my health. I saw a new doctor on Wednesday, and he gave me 6 months to live. He said that if I like it, he’ll give me another 6. We’ll keep upgrading the contract on a continuing basis after that.