thankful

Okay, do you ever get sick of me saying it?

I am so thankful. Thankful for my family. For our health. For our moderate mental health. I'm thankful for Spring in Pittsburgh, which falls at least 3 weeks before spring in Michigan. I'm thankful for my kids smiling eyes and laughter when they try to run each other over getting to the swingset that they can finally use.

I'm thankful that I live in the United Stated and not in Japan, because it looks like a crazy movie set over there right now. I'm thankful that Pittsburgh doesn't get earthquakes, and I'm thankful that when my sister lived in the San Fransisco Bay Area, there was one earthquake in 2007 and it was only a 4.2, and even though I called her at 4-something AM there she was able to realize that it was 7-something AM here and not kill me. I'm thankful that Good Morning America had already informed me, before we even spoke, what was happening, and that she was probably okay. I'm glad she was okay. And I'm thankful for the time when I had only one child, and she was under two, and I could watch news programs. Instead of Sid the Science Kid.

I'm thankful for college, when I was able to sleep until 1pm if I wanted to. And I wish I had appreciated that time more. Even though I couldn't sleep 'til 1pm now if I tried, I'm thankful that there was a time that I could.

I'm thankful for my family, and myriad friends, who are quite an eclectic bunch of neighbors, old college roommates, people I met here and there, moms I stalked in the mall (and in the library, and in the post office, and in Gymboree...). I'm thankful that people usually put up with my sense of humor and that sometimes they learn from me. I'm thankful that I can still learn from others, since I'm pretty damn stubborn and I'm sure soon I won't take anyone else's lip about how I do things.

I'm thankful that I got the chance to have children, and that I used the chance when I didn't have children to influence other people's children's lives in a positive and healthy way. I'm thankful that I haven't had a mental breakdown yet, and I'm thankful for all the people out there who have made that possible.

I'm thankful that my husband is my best friend (gross, right?) and I'm thankful that I waited so long to meet him, that I didn't have to wait longer, and that even when we hate each other we still love each other.

I'm thankful for when the crap hits the fan and we get through it. Because even though life is pretty hard sometimes, even terrible occasionally, I've gotten through it so far. And so have you. And there are always, always sunny days after the rain.

I'm thankful that you're reading this. And I'm thankful that after reading this, you'll be thankful for your stuff, too.