Today is Thanksgiving, and as tradition demands, I am reflecting on what I am most thankful for.

First, I am thankful for my personal spiritual life, a non-religious form of Christianity. I know some people whose beliefs are close to mine, but not exactly the same. My faith in God has sustained me through some really horrible events in the past few years. Some call religion a crutch, I say my belief in God and my very real, very tangible sense of who I am and where I can go in time of need is the way I live every day. I don't think I could have gotten through the bad stuff without this constant meditation going on, this constant prayer under the surface, this sense of worship that I can fully enter into at any given moment.

Secondly, I am thankful for my DH. He is my soulmate, and came into my life at a time when I thought there wasn't one for me in the whole world. He drives me crazy, and teases too much, and has some flaws that I'm praying God will change, but with all that, He is "The One." He understands things about me that no one else ever even saw. He can read my mind, and verbalize my deepest emotions that I cannot put into words myself. He is home.

Thirdly, I am thankful for my three children. There's Number One Son, who would probably be a very close friend of mine if we weren't related, and we were age peers. He and I share so much, have so much in common, and even those things he really likes (like some of his music) that aren't my personal cup of tea, I can truly appreciate. Then there's DD, who would also probably be a very close friend, under the same circumstances. We have different things in common than her older brother and I, but nonetheless, we speak from the same heart, and I can appreciate the areas where her tastes and desires are not the same as my own. Finally, there's Little-Sir-3-Year-Old, who keeps me laughing with his antics and his little turns of a phrase. I am looking to forward to growing in friendship with him as well, as he gets older. I am very blessed with these three.

Fourthly, I am thankful for my father, the only one left of the older generations for me. The older I get, the more I appreciate him, and the more I am aware of the frailty of life, and what a precious, fleeting gift it is.

Fifthly, I am thankful that God has directed me toward a new career. It came as a surprise to me, when I thought I was going in a different direction. This one seems right, and as soon as I'm done with this particular degree, we'll see if the fit is as good as it seems.

I am thankful to be healthy, to live in a rural area with the beaches and the farms, and to have the opportunities I've had. I'm thankful for old friends and new friends, music to immerse myself in, good books and movies, travel opportunities,and so much more. I am thankful to God, and to all of those who have blessed my life just by touching it.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!