Giving thanks

today i give thanks for ...

the woman on flickr who takes self portraits every day and writes imaginative tales to go with them
the look of love in the eyes of my friends when i see them
the way drumming allows me to express otherwise unknowable pieces of me
murals on city walls
various friends i've never met
annie's alfredo macaroni & cheese with broccoli
that wonderful and frustrating thing called family
dancing
stretching
pushing the edges of my comfort to help me expand farther than i knew possible
those last 5 minutes in bed
the smell after a warm rain
the gut-wrenching agony of true loss
all the gadgets and gizmos i have available to play with
the multitudes of people who inspire me

i give thanks for patience, understanding, compassion and forgiveness
the remote and uninhabited places left in the world
mountains of snow and my feet strapped to a board (ha ha, when i first wrote that it said "bard")

i give thanks for grace and humility
i give thanks for hands-down, unapologetic living

i give thanks for ...
the mohawk i just gave myself
friends becoming parents and the little ones they bring into the world
puppies
power tools
the previous 2 items not being in the same place at the same time
self-love (no, not like that!) ... (okay, like that, too!)
how you can find out about almost anything on the internet
art so honest you can't look away
rumi, rilke, cummings, silverstein, and seuss
hot tubs
women who ride motorcycles and weld
chocolate cake
massage
doing things just because
me
you
yeah ... even you!


today i give thanks for life