It is bitterly cold, but sunny out this joyful thanksgiving.
This is my obligatory “whatI am thankful for” post.
1) I am thankful for my family. Unlike you suckers, I got to choose my family. I am thankful for their quirkiness and their generosity, for the stories that fill my soul and memories. Most importantly, I am thankful that they chose me as well, and that they continue to put up with me through my moods, my confoundedness and my overwhelming nature. They don’t have to put up with me, and yet they do for some inexplicable reason.
2) I am thankful for the joy inside me. This joy is internal and has nothing to do with the people around me. Surely I am surrounded by the happiest mix of people and dogs and family one could ask for, but I know this for sure, even if there is a shake up in my life and I lose those people I love and adore, there will still be joy inside me, after the sadness and there will always be my future.
3) How can I not mention David here. Yet another that puts up with me and my petulant moods, my demands, my chronic indecision. He sticks around, he laughs that big laugh when i try to explain how things should be in my view of the world, he makes up songs about trains that go to the moon and he eats my cooking!
4) To makes things even more mushy, let’s talk about my dogs! It’s no exaggeration to say that Ghengis saved my life last year after the break up. He required my attention, he required my focus. he needed to be taken care of and he needed me to stick around, to not drive to the ocean and drink vodka tonics while staring at the surf until my liver gave out. He reminded me to laugh and he reminded me that there was loyalty in this world after all. Then there’s dear Maddie, the definition of sweet, innocent and lovely all bundled in velvety fur and her giant head. I must be patient with her, but the rewards are indescribable.
5) I can cook. Not only can I cook, but it is a gift that I can give other people and they can enjoy it as well. After talking to many people,, i know how lucky I am to be able to invent recipes, to have the instinct to know what disparate ingredients would actually compliment each other. But, also, i do not take myself too seriously in the kitchen. I can appreciate the flavors of a sheep’s milk blue cheese or the concentrated intensity of a good molé, but also, I really really really like cheetohs! David tells me that one day my heart will burst right out of my chest for how poorly I eat sometimes, he’s probably right, but I dn’t mind because there is rarely a bite of anything I eat that is not savored fully, be it a roasted pear, lamb in a buerre rouge sauce or potato chips and cheap french onion dip. I’d give up not a single bite.
I’m off to finish the dishes and dinner.
Go hug somebody and smile.