To be thankful

I'm not going to lie: I find the daily "thankful" November posts on Facebook to be annoying.  Everyone starts off as thankful for family, friends, health, etc., and then it just deteroriates from there.  Suddenly it's November 21st and I've noticed people become increasingly thankful for types of food...is this because the food-tastic heaven that is Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, or is it because everyone has run out of more meaningful things to be thankful for?  We may never know...but, I digress.  I love Thanksgiving, and I do love that the month of November prompts people to stop and consider the aspects of their lives they're grateful for, but I'm not convinced the daily play-by-play is necessary.


via

So, to play along with this month's theme of thankfulness, I thought I would share some of what I'm most thankful for:

• My parents.  There are no words to describe how grateful I am to have the family that I do.  We're a small but stubborn, opinionated, and lively bunch, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
• Tony.  2 years in and the strength of my feelings for this man still catches me off guard.  He is kind, generous, funny, supportive, and loves me without question.  
• My friendships.  This is such a broad item, and it doesn't seem enough to devote only a single bullet point to it, but for the sake of this post it'll have to do.  I have such variety in my friendships and each one adds unique value to my life.  I cannot imagine not having my friends to call on in good and in bad times, nor can I imagine not being able to support them in kind.
• Ruby and Ringo.  My goodness, but my life is so much fuller with those two crazy dogs in it.  I was never a dog person until Tony brought those furry monsters into my life, and now I cannot imagine a homecoming that doesn't involve Ruby's stubby, little tail wagging, and Ringo's excited requests to play (all.the.freaking.time).
• Books.  This may seem a bit ridiculous, but life without books is no life at all.  I have bags of books in my car, stacks of books surrounding my overflowing bookshelf at home, and books on nearly every flat surface at Tony's; they complete me.
• My health.  I may be prone to sinus infections, but overall I'm healthy and happy, and that is a wonderful thing.
• My job.  My work-life has gone through quite a few changes over the past year, and while I wouldn't say I feel completely settled where I'm at, I'm more even-keeled, which is a wonder for my psyche.  I work for a University that feels like home to me, and I get to learn something new every day.  There is also pride in the maturity and independence that comes with a steady paycheck.

Goodness knows there are countless other things I could add to this list, but that would make me no different than the daily thankers, so I think I'll stop here.  Those 7 items are simply a foundation for all of the little, wonderful things in life.