Thankful

My life is not perfect by a long shot. My health is still an issue, although so much better and constantly improving. Money is a constant struggle and worry about the future is hard to keep at bay.

I might perhaps be a little too angry too often (ya think???) My government pisses me off big time: the solution to the world's ills are so simple to fix, yet we spend all our money and energy destroying lives in all manner of ways and in almost every country in the world, including our own. Why is that? I just don't get it.

Consequently, I'm amazed when, in lucid moments, I feel so grateful. Not even conscious of what I feel grateful for when I'm feelin' it, it's just there. But, of course. When I stop to think about it, there is so much on my list. Like...

My husband, my boys. My health. My friends from past and present: from my youth, from college, Key West, from our wonderful life in Costa Rica, and now in our beautiful and liberty-minded KY. My chickens. My mini-me, Sam. So grateful for you.

I know some incredible people.

My family here in KY (the paternal side is all here for the feast later today - yay!) My husband's family and my mom's family and friend (yeah, Gayle, that's you!) all across the U.S. Love you all.

My mentor, whose voice I still hear in my head at all the right moments. Is she up in heaven? I don't think so; I think she's already back here. Highly evolved people make a quick turn-around. I'll be in heaven for a really long time, learning how to turn anger into love! (Yes, it will be heaven. There is no hell. Conveeeenient how I believe that, eh?)

My healer Salomé. My imagination. My voice that is getting stronger and stronger. I may never be a soprano again, but I can sing now. I sound like a not-quite-totally-whiskey'd-out version of Janis Joplin, but it's tolerable and I'm grateful. My sense of humor. Where would I be without that???

My Facebook friends and enemies. I'm grateful for the anger that fuels my passion. I'm fairly certain it's better than no passion at all. Right?

Grateful for my talents. I'm one of those jack-of-many-trades-master-of-none type people. I can do a lot of things well so it's always a little chaotic in my head. Spills out onto the blog sometimes so I know you know. Somedays, I'd like to be a master of one thing. One thing that will make money. So far, that plan is not panning out, but, hey, there's always tomorrow!

I'm grateful for hope and the fact I have some.

Being grateful is a skill. If I don't work at it, I won't be it. So I work at it every morning with a meditation and a chat with the Source, who I usually call God (even though I don't really believe in the traditional one, I do believe there is something bigger than me out there... what she's up to, I haven't a clue) and from whom I have trained myself not to ask for stuff. It's always tempting to blurt out my list of Things I Need, but it's not allowed and certainly not productive. If it were that easy, would there be any strife growth opportunities? I think not.

The point is, if I don't set up my day, generate a little peace and goodwill in the morning, it gets away from me. Can you imagine how angry I could be??? Oy vey.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving 2011? Say, how about a little Thankful music, please Maestro, to fuel the gratitude cells in the brain. This did it for me: