The Gratitude Attitude

It doesn't take the upcoming holiday to make me think of all the things I'm thankful for. Not really. Little things pop into my head on a daily basis that have me sending up a silent prayer of thanks. I'm frequently thankful, for example, for men.

That's right. I said it. And not for the reason you all are thinking, either. (Especially you, Gerard. I know how your mind works!) I make no secret of the fact that I am height challenged. And techno-challenged. And sadly, I also have no sense of direction. It comes in handy to live with someone who wouldn't qualify as tall, but who can reach something on top of the refrigerator without dragging out the step stool. Who can open jars or stuck windows. And who has a suggestion when I call him from the land line to complain about my cell phone not working. (Ohhhh. *That's* what that button is for.) He also programs my in-dash GPS system before I set out for a trip. Maybe it's just because he wants the Suburban back eventually, but still--appreciated.

I also am frequently thankful that I don't live in the Mid East. No bias here, but I tend to think I'd do poorly in a climate where women are supposed to act quiet and subservient, at least in public. Demure is beyond me. I'd be the poster girl for public caning, so it's just as well that I was born in the U.S. where everyone loves a smart ass. Or at least can't beat them legally.

And I'm thankful for humor. How dull would life be without it? My particular brand skates perilously close to irreverent, but I also appreciate it in others, luckily for my husband. (Last night I told him, "The dog jumped up when I was cutting the meat and grabbed a big piece of fat and dragged it under the table to chew on." To which he responded, "Didn't that hurt????")

Throughout the years when all the kids were home, I said a frequent prayer of thanks that I had four boys and one girl and not vice versa. I'm hugely grateful for my daughter, and my life would be much much emptier without her. But if I'd had to raise more than one of her...prison orange is an unattractive color on *anyone*.

There's more, of course. I'm thankful for Mark Harmon and Johnny Depp ('cuz a girl's gotta dream ). For books and movies that entertain and provoke thought. Democracy. For Doctor McGillicudy's (don't knock it 'til you've tried it!). For job stability. For my family. For that new stuff that makes my eyelashes grow. My health. Strides in the plastic surgery field (there's nothing graceful about aging from where I stand). For grandchildren. For online shopping and free shipping. The Internet. And for white sand beaches edged by turquoise waters.

How about you? What tops your list of items to be thankful for this season?