Thankful

I am grateful that I'm learning to sit with ALL feelings more and not only the pleasant ones

I am grateful for my friendships

I'm grateful to have seen a white owl

I'm grateful to have witnessed my daughter hiking at "Blueberry Hills"

And her health and spirit.

And my health.

And worshipping nature while having public restrooms nearby

I'm grateful for trying to be in the moment

To be almost done x-mas shopping so I can sip hot cider and go on car rides looking for lights.

I'm grateful my S's stress and work schedule is easing up

I'm grateful I have felt full enough to give him TLC

I'm grateful he's grateful

I'm grateful to have so many wonderful people in my life and my writer's group and in my neighborhood

And the recent election results

For my daughter's wide network of friends born in many different parts of the world

I'm grateful we have enough

I'm grateful for Ohana - our own family

I'm grateful that my daughter's birthfamily for many reasons

I'm grateful I am loved by people who can say I love you

I'm grateful that my daughter's laugh is the contagious kind

I'm grateful for the wind that blows through my hair

I'm grateful for the way the waves show me how the same damn ocean is never the same damn ocean

I'm grateful for S's inherent nature of optimism

I'm grateful I can be the rock of the family and not just the thing needing to be steadied

I'm grateful that childhood only felt like an eternity and wasn't

I'm grateful for the ride in the car on Monday when my daughter asked, "What do you love most about your Mama?"

I'm grateful my daughter now likes pre-school

I'm grateful for the gift of words to put feelings, experiences and life in a new perspective

I'm grateful for a practice of writing and a shared community of writers

I'm grateful that this morning my girl said, "Daddy, do you want some Mama?" and he said "Hubba Hubba" to me while Kai asked, "Mama do you want some Dada?"

I'm grateful for laughing that makes you snort your coffee OUT of your nose

I'm glad that i get to at least ten of my twelve cousins on Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for Aunt W's apple-yam sweet yummy dessert like dish that I dive into live an Olympian heading for the water

I'm grateful for T's cuddly belly and R's belly laugh

I'm grateful for collaging and my partner in creative crime

I'm grateful for creativity and the creator of all things - whatever form she feels like taking