Gratitude – What five (5) things are you most grateful for from 2011?

Gratitude (in no particular order)

1. My friends. Oh, you people are marvelous. From work to play, you make me collapse in laughter, giggle at lewdly inappropriate things, shatter my boundaries and take absolutely nothing at face value. The phrase “expand my horizons” just isn’t enough for what you do for me. You’re absolutely brilliant. You’re also the greatest supporters a person could have. Even if you’re on the other side of the world, I can feel you out there. Take care, all of you–always.

2. Mr. HouseofBeck. He’s included in the above, but just in case there’s any doubt, he gets his own line. I am extremely glad he’s in this world and in my life. He accepts me for who I am even when I’m fighting mad to expand who I am. The dude has more patience and perseverance than is normal. Would I put up with me? Yeek! But as he tells me, “I’ve waited a long time for you.” I can’t even write that without melting. We’ll get through this damned Crohn’s. We have to.

3. My family. The love I feel for you lives in every cell in my being. Lately I’ve been getting flashbacks to childhood, the kind that come colored with shades of feeling and warmth and scent. The way the hanging lamp made out of wicker curves shone a golden light down on just that one corner of the living room. The way dinner cooking on the stove warmed the air. The smell of heat from the furnace that always signified winter. The crisp-cold scent of the Christmas tree brought down from the crawl-space in the garage. Rhythm’n’blues, Beethoven or punk making the walls shake. Learning how to count in Roman numerals from watching old movies. Your voices carrying through the house. It’s all there. Comfort.  Home. Delight. Thank you.

4. My job. I do spend more than 40 hours a week there. It was bound to come up! Without this job, I’d still be a contractor. There’s nothing wrong with being a contractor, but I was really starting to want the comfort of a “permanent” job. You know, with benefits and stuff. I also wanted to keep doing what I love doing, which is reaching out to people through social media for a cause I believe in. This job does that for me. And there are awesome people working there, people I am so glad I’ve met. They’re in #1 too.

5. Creativity. Writing, beading, drawing, singing–they’ve always been part of me, some more than others, but I seem to have found a new renaissance of creativity within me. I have a pile of really cool bracelets, earrings and necklaces. I participated in NaNoWriMo again and won for the 3rd time. I’ve been singing again, if only in the car, if only in the house. I’ve got children’s stories actually out of my head, in front of my eyes, with illustrations. Now I need to take what I’ve got and mold it all into something sublime. And I think I can do it.

6. *Bonus!* 2011. 2011 sucked for many people. It wasn’t supposed to, I know. I can’t say it’s been all that peachy for me all the time either. But looking back over it with just this simple list makes me very grateful I was able to be here for it, to live through it, to come out with new strength and ideas, decisions and determinations. And there were some amazing times I cherish. That’s what looking back over this year has done for me: Made me realize the awesome that was and the awesome that’s yet to come.

May it also be awesome for you.

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