Great Full

Gratitude, according to the dictionary, is not a verb. But I see it as an action nonetheless. Obviously this is a good time of year to be grateful; November always works for me in this capacity. My birthday month, its the time of year that I am forced inside to ponder the passage of time. And as the weather chills and the days get shorter, I must deal with life at a slower pace. The school year is in full swing, and my freneticism as a teacher and mother have finally settled down. Plus it’s kind of hard to miss the giant inflatable turkeys and cornucopias of thanks.

I am thankful for the usual of course. My family and friends top the list, especially my children. I am thankful for peanut butter kisses from the three year old, and the artful way he bedecks the entire house with a roll of toilet paper. I admire the drawings and comedic timing of his brother, and the attention to details my daughter pays.

As the pile of birthday candles grows bigger and I reflect on a health scare this summer, I am growing ever more appreciative of my health and the strides I will take to hold on to it.

But I think the gift that strikes me the most this year is that of re-creation. I started last November when I took that National Novel Writing Challenge. I wrote fifty thousand words in a month and created a pretty interesting story, if I do say so myself. (Which I have to, because no one else has yet read it!)

I’m not sure if that sustained writing and achievement of a goal was really the springboard, but by the time the first of the year rolled around, I was ready to start my whole life anew. I have spent the last ten months literally re-creating myself.

I think I am so thankful because this is still so shocking to me. I have changed my way of thinking, the shape of my body, and the spirit that breathes within me. And I have done this myself. I just never really thought it was possible to do a total u-turn on the road I was traveling.

Gratitude is an action. I believe this wholeheartedly. When I run, when I breathe, when I write, when I believe, I am drinking in the moment. And I am also proving to the universe that I both appreciate it and deserve it.

And a million trillion others just like it. And I will be grateful for each of those too!