My Thank You

Sometimes you experience alot of life...and you take it for granted. Sometimes you just taste a little and realize all of the things that you have to be thankful for. I recognize that there are things in my life that I haven't been seeing lately. I think perhaps it is time for me to acknowledge how very lucky and thankful I am.

I am thankful for that pre-movie kiss that I get right after the previews everytime Roy and I see something at the theater. The popcorn...the coke...the kiss. How many times have I leaned over to recieve that kiss without even licking my lips? You know you want it when you lick your lips, don't you?
The pre-movie kiss. One of my favorites.

I am thankful that when I sit down to eat, I can look over at my husband and see his head down and his hand making the sign of the cross before he ever touches his food. Even if we're in a restaurant.
He blesses his food, and is thankful for it.

I'm grateful for my parents. That they love me unconditionally and they are examples for me consistently on how I should live without ever telling me what to do. I'm grateful that they take my kids for sleepovers anytime I ask and even if I don't ask. It allows me time alone with my husband that I might not otherwise get and I appreciate that.
Someday it will be my turn and I'll remember their generosity.

I'm grateful to my mother in law, with whom I have endless comfort. That I can show up at her house after work and eat fresh hot homemade tortillas and know that she likes it when I'm there.
Her house is my house. I understand this more and more every day.

I'm thankful that I have not just the one sister that was born 9 years after me but SIX more of my husbands sisters to call my own. Each one unique and beautiful in her own special way. That these women love their only brother so much and they never treated me poorly because of that but instead loved me as well...is a testament to their characters. I've never met or known such an incredible group of women. And HILARIOUS. They are all so HILARIOUS.
It gives my life a richness that I hold dear.

I'm thankful that I live nearby a Shrine with such beauty as to take your breath away. That I can go inside and light a candle and kneel in prayer for forgiveness, for mercy, for enlightenment. I know I can do this at home, but special things have happened in that place. Things of God. A way of life that I believe in, even as I struggle every day to be good.
What can I say? I'm human. But I'm thankful for that too.

I'm thankful for Cristian, because he has shown me what it means to be a parent all on my own. He was always patient with me, he was always good for me. As if he knew I didn't know what I was doing and he was trying to help me be the way I should. He is so full of beauty and promise and a light that others see and marvel at. I'm not sure what it all means but I know that it's been pointed out more that once...that kid is special. Of course I see myself in him. All the good and bad...but so much more good.
Thank you, Cristian...for your strong will and your pure heart.

I'm thankful for my little Miko. Because he was a blessing that I prepared for and asked for and a gift that I received. Because he looks like his daddy and acts like me. Because this time, I entered into parenthood as a partnership and I see how beautiful it looks on this side of it all. I'm thankful that he is strong and willful and full of laughter. And I like it when he doesn't let anyone else hug me without getting really pissed off and tugging on whatever piece of their clothing he can reach.
He makes me feel oh so special.

I'm thankful for my baby sister. I'm thankful that she exists. I'm glad that I'm not alone. That every pain I ever endured, she shared in. That all the joy I can recall from childhood...she recalls too. I'm grateful for her humor and her honesty. Both of these have pulled me through my rough times on more than one occasion. She is my other half. The yin to my yang.
All I need from her is her presence. Nothing more.

I'm am thankful for my husband. I'm thankful that I can turn to him for comfort and support. That I can count on him to have my back in any situation. That he likes to listen to me even when I babble and he indulges all of my idiosyncrasies almost as though he loves me for them alone. I'm thankful that every night he is home with me because he wants to be. And that he pitches-in, in every aspect of our lives together without complaint. I'm grateful to him for caring for me, for taking care of me, for making me laugh, and for spending time with his children at every opportunity.
And I'm thankful that he prays for me. God knows I need it.
I mean...seriously...have you read some of my other posts?!

I'm thankful that I love my job, I have a cool boss, good co-workers and decent pay.
Not everyone has that blessing.

I'm thankful for the comfort of my home. That I can lay down on a good bed at night. That I can watch TV in a peaceful atmosphere. That I can open the pantry and find an endless supply of snacks in my kitchen.
I have a place to run to. I share it with others. That is important to me.

Last but not least, I'm thankful that I have people who actually come here and read what I have to say. It means so much to me to know that. Why? Because everyone out there who comes here is so interesting. With so much of their own to say and so much more that I want to know. You all are the people whom I wish to be surrounded by.
Intelligent, funny, loving people that I just don't meet everyday. I'm thankful for your presence.

There is so much more I could say but then I think this post would never end. I'm a lucky girl. This I know. I want to appreciate it so that if the dark times come again...I won't become bitter. I'll know that I had my turn.
Life is a wheel, right Robert Jordan?

Thank you God, for giving me a good run. If it ends tomorrow, I've had more than I deserve.