What Are You Grateful For?

Because it seems every day the world is getting scarier and more depressing, I’ve decided to start a thread to list the things we can be grateful for. Forget about the war and terrorism and all that stuff and list the things that make life worth living. I’ll start:

  1. Photons. Looking at stuff and being able to see what I’m doing is a definite plus. Photons allow me to do that. It’s also what sunshine is made out of, and there’s not much bad to say about sunshine (well, if you ignore that UV radiation stuff). Yay photons!

  2. Kittens. Just go to http://www.ratemykitten.com/top.html. 'Nuff said.

  3. Solid ground. Ever see Waterworld? I didn’t really like that movie, but I think we can all agree that living in a world with just ocean wouldn’t be too great.

  4. Plants. Not only are they pretty, but they also don’t make annoying sounds or move anywhere, plus they give us oxygen.

  1. music - singing my heart out while i go through the day feels wonderful.

  2. plants - verdant greens. plus points if it just rained.

  3. breezes - on a hot, sunny, muggy day.

  4. hugs and spooning - get wrapped up and nuzzle against slightly sweaty, slightly cologned skin…

  5. dogs - big, hulking piles of love and energy.

  6. college - anything that buffers me from the real world of jobs and texes is a good thing!

  7. helium balloons and kites - just fascinate me for some reason. i stare and stare and stare till i trip over something and fall.

…actually, i wouldnt know where to stop. i’m a very “find your joys in everything before you pop off dead” type of person.
(i feel so cliched.)

  1. My baby. I necer thought I could love anyone as much as I love my SO, and then she came along. We as a family unit is something that truly makes life worth living.

2)Coffee. Mmmmm, coffee.

  1. Chocolate. need a snack to go with that coffee.

  2. Curious George. he just makes me smile. I got Curious George checks the other day and I’m really looking forward to spending money again.

I could go on and on as well. Nice thread. Thank you. (Oh! I guess I’m grateful for this thread…)

  1. The Health of my children. (and my kids, the joy I get frm them is amazing.) This is always number one. Always.

  2. The health of my spouse.

  3. My health

  4. A husband that earns enough money allowing me to stay home with the kids.

  5. Sunshine on my face ( something that seems so rare in MIchigan in winter.)

  6. A well written book or magazine ( any subject.)

  7. Excellent music.

  8. My Bullshit Sensor, Creepy Bug Smashing Capabilities and Do Not Panic Mode. Really, more people need to be like me.

  9. A husband that must be clinically insane to have married me.

  10. SDMB.

Hey there Palve, it seems like you’ve been away for a bit. I saw your thread on college selection and couldn’t help, having been the product of a HUGE school (University of Texas), in whose humongousity I reveled.

Nice thought.

I am grateful for my apparently strong constitution. While I have not always enjoyed good health, I’ve made it back from all the health setbacks.

As well I’m grateful for my citizenship. While my Dad was Canadian, and that wouldn’t be a bad deal either, I am certain that in the settling but unsettled world of today, I am glad that, amongst the hundreds of possibilities, I lucked out to be a U.S. citizen.

And I’m grateful for the friends who have endured through the years.

Yeah, well, and I’m grateful that there’re drummers in the world, too.

Good thread. I’ve made a profound change in my life by just remembering to be grateful. There are so many.

I’m grateful for (and in no particular order)

[ul]this community
my husband
my job
my friends
my health
my dog
my country
and about a million other things[/ul]

  1. My Job. After putting up with the Boss-From-Hell for too many years, I now have a wonderful new boss. A person who respects her employees.

  2. Medical advances. Especially the expensive little computer in my chest that kick starts my heart when it stops.

  3. My husband. He thinks this short, dumpy, middle aged woman is still sexy.

  4. My daughter. The doctors told us she wouldn’t live six months, and we had her for 15 wonderful years. We have our memories forever.

  5. Flowers. all kinds even Dandelions.

  6. Music. all kinds even Rap.

  7. Books. And the ability to read them.

  8. Forests. I love to walk through a peaceful forest.

  9. Laughter. And the SDMB that provides lots of it.

Love:[ul]Living in a world where is love is not only possible but mandatory for life to exist is a joy. Having the love of my friends and the chance to open my heart and love them in return is life itself. Knowing that love will always trump evil and violence is truly reassuring.[/ul]
Music:[ul]The existence of music is one of nature’s greatest achievements. Be it a songbird’s trill, a complex violin passage or a full orchestra and choir, they all lift the heart and elevate those who hear it. My musical compositions are some the greatest treasures I have. Being able to play several instruments is one of the core forms of ecstasy I routinely experience. Living without music would not be life for me.[/ul]
Food:[ul]That the common act of obtaining nourishment could be elevated to such a profound combination of art and science is utterly fabulous. To fuse ordinary ingredients into stunning flavors and visual apparitions is intensely gratifying. Sharing these discoveries with loved ones and dear friends is happiness defined. Do not get me started on this subject, you have been warned.[/ul]
Nature:[ul]Our precise location on this moist fuzzy ball of rock and dirt is almost miraculous. Nature does not just abhor a vacuum, it embellishes given the least chance. That the sky is sprinkled with colored stars ringing like bells in the void is magnificent. That among the elephant and whale there is also the iridescent butterfly is splendid. That we have the mind and mobility to see all of this and remotely perceive it is almost incomprehensible. The infinitude of natural beauty that surrounds us each and every day is incredible. No matter how hard we try to pave over it, life seeps in around the edges and pokes up a flower through the asphalt. Nature’s tenacity is wonderful.[/ul]
Microelectronics:[ul]This one single advancement had yielded so many boons to space exploration, medicine, science, art and daily life it is unbelievable. To have played a part in its improvement and progress is something I shall always be grateful for.[/ul]
Children:[ul]Thank goodness for the little ones who are still full of fun and wonder. Playing with them while reviving my inner child is one of the most rewarding of all activities. Gaining fresh insight and new perspective through their eyes promotes my own creativity and youth.[/ul]

My husband,
my health,
my incredibly good luck,
my friends,
my experiences,
my options,
my freedom.

A cat who still loves me even when he’s wearing a surgical collar.

The joy of dancing with my husband.

A lot of very good friends.

Being able to work, and to earn a living.

Living with walking distance of a Great Lake, and also right near some good restaurants.

Having glasses, which means that I can see well enough to not step on the cat, or trip on the carpet. It also means that I can enjoy the beauty of spring.

  1. Grad school. Even though I gripe about it, I’m thrilled to be here after years in the corporate world. Just to be headed where I wanted to go for years makes me happier than I can say.

  2. My former boss, at the job I left to come back to school. If she hadn’t pulled me into her office one day late last February (maybe early March), I don’t know that I’d be around today. I was getting desperate, because I hated what I was doing with my life. I like to think that I would be somewhere - but I also know just how badly I was doing as far as my mental state and how I perceived things. For the record, I am much better now and one of the things I’ve learned in the last year is that if I’m not happy with the way things are, I can change them. My old boss did a lot for helping me learn that though.

  3. The nice warm/cool spring days we’ve been having lately. They’re just …perfect. Ideal for jeans and t-shirts, but still cool enough at night that I need a blanket to snuggle under.

  4. The financial aid office. Really. I walk in the door and they know me, and they’ve gone out of their way to help me find the aid that I’ve needed for the last year (and for the upcoming summer).

  5. These boards, and the people I’ve met here, even if I haven’t ever met them IRL. There are some great people here - smart and nice who I can’t imagine not knowing.

  6. Lately? Just…everything. I pretty much walk around and grin most of the time. Yeah, I have grumpy days/moments, but nothing that’s terrible. No, there’s not a lot of money around, but that’s teaching me how to budget better than I ever learned to, and it’s taught me to be happy with the little things instead of huge expensive things.