Giving Thanks!

For the past month I've read many daily What I Am Thankful For posts and I thought - lucky them! What I'm really looking forward to is the end of 2013.

But truthfully, I really do have many things to be thankful for...so I am going to create... right now a list of 28 reasons for being grateful.  No scrubbing, no editing...no second-guessing...just what pops into my head..

Here goes:

1) I am grateful for the love of my parents and the path they set me on.  The instilled in me a Do Unto Others attitude and a moral compass of right and wrong;

2) I am grateful for siblings, nieces, nephews and extended family and I love watching the next generation come into their own and have their dreams nurtured;

3) I am grateful for my health;

4) I am grateful for friends near and far who encourage me, like me, trust me and whose company I adore;

5) I am grateful for the opportunity to hear live music that fills my soul with hope and joy, and on rare occasions, allows me a cathartic cry;

6) I am grateful for other creative arts - stimulating and gripping books, movies, tv shows and plays;

7) I am grateful for my education and a life-long thirst for knowledge -- I thrive on news and current events;

8) I am grateful for a job and a team of supportive and intelligent co-workers and supervisors;

9) I am grateful for an abundance of food and a willingness to try new tastes...and wine;

10) I am grateful for a love of history -- we can't understand the present and future without an understanding and appreciation of the past.  It is a gift I received from my dad.

11) I am grateful for the ability to travel and learn about different cultures.  I prefer to experience something as a visitor, not a tourist and I get especially excited when someone asks me for directions:);

12) I am grateful for the camaraderie associated with cheering on the local team...or in my case, some Boston-area teams;

13) I am grateful for a love of animals and that I have experienced their unconditional love;

14) I am grateful for laughter -- it breaks the monotony and instantly makes me feel better;

15) I am grateful for the smell of the ocean air and fresh-cut grass, the color of leaves and being able to see stars that brighten the dark sky;

16) I am grateful for a love of the outdoors -- walking, hiking, biking, strolling along the shore, gardening etc. so many adventures have given me strength ;

17) I am grateful for the change of  seasons -- as much as I abhor cold weather these days, I really would be disappointed with uniformity;

18) I am grateful for kind neighbors -- both mine and those of my mom...the latter brings me peace of mind;

19) I am grateful for not being as caught up in material things anymore...it frees me up to enjoy simpler pleasures;

20) I am grateful for public transportation -- no car means being at the mercy of  trains and buses and my own two feet;

21) I am grateful for what I get from volunteering;

22) I am grateful for solitude and meditation -- it really does help me to work things out;

23) I am grateful for faith and spirituality;

24) I am grateful the kindness of strangers -- it really does make the world go round;

25) I am grateful for a treasure-trove of photos that translate into fond memories and a chronicle of my history;

26) I am grateful for slowly understanding that there are certain things I can't change but at the same time, I will never stop dreaming;

27) I am grateful for street smarts -- sometimes the worst situations teach us how strong we can be;

28) and,  I am grateful if anyone reads this...