A roof over my head and food in the cupboards. It’s something most of us take for granted. I’m no exception. And I’m the one who always seems to be just a few dollars ahead of financial disaster at any given moment. I tend to constantly focus on what I don’t have. But you know what? I really do appreciate what I do have.
My Independence - Okay, so the dating site has been a joke so far. And dating is a pain in the ass. But I want to be with someone but I don’t need to be. I have friends who aren’t so “fortunate” and can’t leave bad relationships for a number of reasons. Yeah, I’m alone. But I’m not in an unhappy relationship, either. And that’s much worse.
I once lived with someone who had everything from the apartment to the utilities to my car in his name. I was very unhappy (understatement) and couldn’t leave. We were engaged. Thank God I didn’t marry him. I’m now independent enough to walk away from men when I see red flags. I hope I get to grow old with someone. But if I don’t, it’ll will be okay. And maybe even preferable (you hear that, Carmen??) Yeah, I get the occasional comment of, “Oh you poor thing. Still not married!” but to paraphrase a well-known comedia, “Yeah, being single is tough. I can do what I want when I want. ALL the TIME.”
My friends. I have not had an easy life. To say the least. And my family is not at all close (even though I love them dearly and Thankful for what I do have with them). The fact that I have managed to surround myself with such quality people never ceases to amaze me. Yeah, there’s the “bad apple” now and then, but for the most part, a person could not ask for better friends. Really. To my friend, Jan, especially – BIG HUGS!!!
My online friends. And yeah, that includes most of you here. I get annoyed with this site. I get annoyed with my weight, my broken promises to myself, my lack of progress, and a million other things. But without fail, you folks always, always pick me back up again. And for that, I am grateful. You have no idea how much it means. You guys rock. Funny thing, there’s an article in this week’s Parade magazine about the strength of online friendships (even if you’ve never met the people you call “friends”). If you missed it, it’s online HERE.
Where I live. I sometimes crab about the small community I live in. Yeah, living in such a cow town has it’s drawbacks. No major stores. No social events. Dealing with the occasional backwards redneck. The sidewalks rolling up at 8pm (or earlier). But there’s little or no crime here (you would not believe the demographic reports and crime stats). I come from a place that has a newspaper filled with of crime news. The newspaper here is more likely to do a feature on someone who’s won the Spelling Bee.
People wave to each other on the street. Pull over to get something out of your car or make a phone call and people (both men and women) will stop to ask if you’re stranded, or if you need help. From the librarians, to the post office personnel to clerks at the store, there’s a hometown familiarity here that no longer exists elsewhere. It won’t be like that forever. Changes are already occurring (and I’m noticing more and more of the city mentality here). So I’m appreciating small town life while I can.
My three cats (Yeah, yeah, there’s the endless source of jokes about single women who have more than one cat. And leaving three furry monsters alone every day is the equivalent of leaving three toddlers home alone every day. You never know what you’re gonna come home to, but you can usually bet it will involve at least one lampshade askew, and liquidy barf on the carpeting. But it’s hard not to appreciate their constant, unwavering unconditional love. Plus, they’re hilarious. I’m glad I have ‘em.
My ability to write: Effortless, seriously enjoyable, and a marketable skill. Actually doing something with it is the real challenge (and most of that is overcoming self-doubt and procrastination). It’s only taken the compliments and support of hundreds of friends and total strangers, but I think I’ve finally gotten it through my head. I can write. My key to success (both personal and financial) is there. I just have to use it.
Thank you, Angela, for giving us this “assignment.” It really taught me something! I had more to be thankful for that I realized. And I’m not even done thinking about it yet! Of course, Thank you, God for all of these things (and things I haven’t even thought to mention here). 
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* Now back to complaining — because it’s more entertaining to read, and makes for much better comedy material than gratitude. LOL *
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