Whenever people share what they're thankful for this time of year, it's always the big stuff. Family. Friends. Health. You know, the very things they grumble about the rest of the year. Don't get me wrong - I am very definitely thankful for my family, my friends, my health, and my husband. Overwhelmingly so. But for some reason, with me it is always about the little things. The past few days I've stopped to notice when I appreciated something, when I found myself thankful. And I took a second to write it down. Truth is, I realized that I do this all the time in my head. Every day there are countless things I recognize as blessings. (Jessica_deva takes this one step further and posts a daily list of what she's thankful for. Love that.)

• lists
• waking up to the smell of coffee
• that the presidency isn't a lifelong term
• the way my ass looks in the mirror
• John Stamos
• the opportunity to travel
• Mary my hairstylist
• Redneck Valley Target
• friends from my past who are once again part of my present
• birth control
• answering the phone and hearing Doreen's voice
• the therapy and anti-depressants that gave my mom her life back
• finding the sunglasses that I had lost and so had bought an identical pair which I also lost but then found the original pair which I proceeded to lose yet again
• cool countries like Canada
• book recommendations from friends
• wine
• The NYTimes article that led me to dooce which led me to blogging which led me to ALL OF YOU
• Bridget curling up on my lap
• our hot tub
• the way my dad's eyes light up when I drop by unexpectedly
• emails that make me grin and sometimes laugh out loud
• the intimacy of saying "Hey, it's me" to Rob on the phone
• naps
• how my little brother who is way bigger than me wraps his arms around me from behind and squeezes - best hugs ever
• the sound of rain on our tin roof

May we all be so lucky to realize how lucky we are.