To Be Thankful,

I usually make a list of things I am thankful for on Thanksgiving. I'd like to start doing it more often:

1. My mom and dad. They love me unconditionally.
2. My sister-- she has so selflessly loved me and always done the nice thing towards me all my life. She shaped me. Made me cooky. Bought me my first journal, taught me to love to write. She gave me the confidence to be a "good kid" and to stand up for my beliefs. She plucked my eyebrows, told me to wax my mustache... and came home from college for my first date. She always thinks of fun things. She is funny and never makes people uncomfortable.

3. Growing up on a farm. Could you sing and scream in your front yard when you were a kid? Could you run to the car in your underwear when you realized your homework was out there? Have you fed a baby calf? Did you eat vegetables out of your garden? Do you know how to use a socket wrench-- hope so.

4. Being raised Seventh-Day Adventist. For as much as I despise the conservative wacky upbringing-- and beliefs, I probably wouldn't give it back. We are strong on education. All of my Adventist friends have lived outside of the US. They all go to abroad schools. I don't have any SDA friends that haven't been to college. They all eat interesting foods-- and because we are against the alcohol-- they all know how to have fun without drinking. They rock climb, and play games. They all have interests that are a little eccentric and I love it. We camp.

5. I am thankful for my friends and if not them-- just the people in my life. I know it's cliche. But, I feel a lot of people have friends they don't like. I have friends that I absolutely love and so many funny people around me;
Adrienne-- she will listen to me talk about myself for hours on end, laughs at my jokes, and is there for me.
Donna-- she stole fruit with me and did all kinds of funny things. She was always up to find a new place. She knows good music.
Etson-- he will go dance with me, helps out with pathfinders, comes over to hang out. He is there. He prays with me. He cares.
Brent-- he plays games at my mom's house.
Betsy-- she laughs easy-- she always is friendly and backs me up. She doesn't try to show off. She is quiet and loud.
Laurel-- she understands all things conservative about me. She was a good roommate- not good-- great.
Kristin-- Buddha camp, mischief galore-- I laugh all the time with her and I respect her intellectually.
Mark-- he is thinking of moving here and we will have loads of fun.
Aaron-- he always makes me proud and is good at everything he tries to do. When I go through a break up he sends me a package and tells me I am great.
Greg-- he does what's right and has a soft compassionate heart.
Naomi-- she takes my side but doesn't let me think I am too right.
Dan-- he is kind without show-- he is damned funny. I love Dan.
Jon-- he put up with me being moody all through law school-- and my unfounded critical nature towards him-- he made soap with me-- just a little eccentric-- and for the most part was a great partner for law school.
Leland-- always up for a cup of coffee and a long talk-- he always tells me I am prude-- and I love that.
Sara- she wants to hang out-- and we could be silent for hours studying together and it wasn't awkward. I feel like we can go a while without talking and be just the same when we are together.
Todd- he sees something that needs to be done and he does it-- he works hard and is thoughtful. He calls me from the gas station on the way to my house to see if I want a coffee-- and he fills my thermos. When the fire is low he puts in a log-- and he listens to me and doesn't offer advise when i am sad.
Lars: He wants to move into an RV or to South America-- is there someone more inline with my way of thinking? He is subtle and funny.
Kalin- She understands my family, my upbringing, and common sense. She gets what it means to be polite and she laughs at things.
Nate- he talked to me for hours a day and when he was done talking to me-- I was done missing Jon-- and that needed to happen, I am thankful for that.
Tricia-- always has cute ideas-- and has a practical judgment-- she doesnt say stupid things that don't make sense.
Tanya: She knows me at my core and she doesn't cry or say nice things just to say them-- but when she does-- it breaks my heart and makes me tear up. She spent her childhood with me. We fought and said mean things-- and this
weekend 22 years later we are going to Miami to live it up.
Theresa-- always sweet and funny. Soft hearted and talented and doesn't boast.
Nate/Jim/ Christian-- they make work a great place to be. Make me laugh every day. They have good senses of humor-- open people. Nate Shields: I can not see him for years and then he will be like "yo, I am in Illinois-- can I stay with you-" and we always have fun.
Britta: Always positive and on my side-- even when I can tell she is faking it. I appreciate that she works so hard and stays positive.
Chuck: he is practical and has good manners. He is smart and has common sense. And funny. And laughs. And likes to play cards.
John Lindwall: he knows me. He takes an interest in me-- we can not talk-- and then talk-- and he is concerned in me and my life.
Doug: Always nice to me. Funny. Likes to dance.
Sally- Calls and tries to stay friends and to stay in touch-- even though I don't call back.

Pretty much, every friend I have is worth having. I can only think of one person that I really don't like: I'd say that's pretty good-- wouldn't you?

6. I have never been sexually abused: The percentage of women who will by the age of 21 be sexually abused is astounding. Count your blessings.

7. I have never experienced want for need.

8. I have never been hungry with no view of food. Except for in Thailand-- when I was determined to live on my own money-- and I got down to the last quarter in my pocket-- (enough for phad thai) and I needed toilet paper. I chose to not eat and to buy TP. But, the next day was pay day. Talk about pay check to pay check.

9. Water. It is a pain to purify water.

10. I am almost to Miami.

11. Education. I have been given the opportunity to know. To quench my thirst for knowledge. It is at my finger tips.

12. I am a United States citizen.

13. School was easy for me. I never had to worry that I wouldn't understand something. If i tried hard enough-- I did o.k.

14. Health. That I can breath in and breath out-- that's why it's good to get sick every once and a while.. to remember the blessings of being well.

15. My God loves me. He knows my name. He sees my needs.

16. That I got off the horse in time. That no one was hurt.

17. That my dad went to the cardiologist before he had a heart attack. That he has recovered and is well.

18. Broccoli cooked just right. Nothing better in life.

19. That I don't struggle with my weight: yet.

20. Peace: I have never seen war or feared leaving my house. But, rather, I have had a care free life in a safe neighborhood.