Tuesday, November 11, 2008

a wee bit of gratitude

Maybe November is a month for thankfulness and gratitude. I am sitting here, on the one hand, in a toasty warm house with my coffee and some cute kittens and puppies. On the other hand, I have had a crummy cold for a few days, and my parents and their dog are coming over. Their energetic dog, remember her? BUT they will have my 26 yo nephew with them, the only nephew that I have, soooooo....maybe it is time to push the funk aside, make the chocolate cookies (trying to keep them germ free--but hey, at least this is just family!) clean the bathrooms again, try to clean the carpet....and, well let's pause a minute.

My muffincake was telling me about her magazine and gratitude journals. She also had read somewhere about the family habit of sharing 3 things a person is grateful for at the dinner table. Do I need to state what I am grateful for everyday? You could say 'why not, then go make the cookies and all...'

It all becomes very real when you consider that yesterday an 18 wheeler came around the corner and I had to back up my car so fast and STILL those back tires were huge and I had to shift into drive and swerve onto the sidewalk to get away---the image of those back tires coming toward me makes me realize--we are lucky to be alive and well, because in less than 5 seconds you could be a pancake.

I was walking the dogs thinking 'the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month'....thinking that I am in a warm coat, with warm boots and gloves, but I am cold. How cold were those people in 1918, standing in a wet, snowy and muddy trench? How about the guys in Vietnam, in a pointless war that they didn't ask for, and they didn't have much choice but to go. All the young people sent into the horror of war. I am grateful that nobody has made me do that, nor has anybody attacked central NY in nearly 200 years. Happy Veteran's Day, and here's hoping one day we have Happy Peace day.

You know, today especially, I am grateful for my family and friends, and so many of them will be here in less than an hour! Muffinpie doesn't feel too good herself, but off she went to work this morning, without....as much grumbling as there could have been. I am esp. grateful to her.

My wife mentioned a little girl she read about who says 'I am grateful for Annie's crackers' and I sure am too.

10 comments:

Aleta said...

I like this post a lot. If we could take a moment to count the blessings or find things to be grateful for, life would be a lot more beautiful. I'm grateful that Greg survived a head-on car accident in August and he has recovered because of a strong spirit and faith. I'm grateful for a loving family. I'm grateful for the Christmas reason and season and for a Wedding fast approaching. Thanks for bringing a positive view. And I'm glad you're safe too!

Anonymous said...

Yes, we are thankful that Gary is not a pancake, and I think I could be grateful for whole wheat bunnies if I had ever eaten them. (Are you still a vegetarian if you eat crackers shaped like animals? Just wondering....)

I made an award for you and it is waiting over on my blog. ;)
Enjoy your visiting relatives!

Gordo said...

Given what those guys fought and died in, I figure the least I can do is to attend to service every year. Their numbers are declining fairly quickly, too.

I'm thankful that I've never known combat and hope my children won't either.

Fortune Cookies said...

I am grateful to have discovered your fabulous blog way back when and I am grateful for the rapport we have and I am grateful that your life was spared so that you can continue to brighten the lives of those you touch on a daily basis.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

!!! well, thank YOU smooch smooch SMOOCH!!!!!!

Jessica said...

Wonderful post Gary! I'm glad you're ok, too. :) It's so easy to forget just how good we have it.

Mrs. G. said...

I'm glad you weren't flattened and, lord knows,I am grateful for Annie's Goddess Dressing.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely post. :-)

I can certainly get caught up in all the whoa-is-me thoughts and feelings, especially when I've been harboring this darn cold/sinus infection since November 2. But you're right; there is SO much to be thankful for.

Tonight, I am thankful my husband is making dinner. As I type this, I'm watching him teaching Bridget how to make meatballs. Cute!

(although you could consider them "meat" balls so as not to gross you out too much!)

Hilary said...

Lovely post, Gary. I'm glad you came away from that incident unscathed and are around to blog about such warm sentiments.

Miss Heather said...

I keep a thank-you journal ... everyday I write at least one blessing I received that day, no matter how small. It has helped me to appreciate life more and not get so worried about things out of my control.