Thankful Thursday

There are many things in my life that I am thankful for. The fact that there are janitors that clean the floors of public restrooms is only one of them. So, I thought that since there are so many things, I should dedicate one day a week to declare my thankfulness for a topic. This week I'm focusing on family. The list is in no particular order, so I don't want to get calls from people at 3 am wondering why they are at the bottom of the list! Here goes...

1. I am thankful for my husband. I am thankful that he has helped me become a better person and that he has exposed me to different cultures and values than I had known before I met him. I am thankful that he wakes up in the morning and cooks me breakfast. I am thankful that he does laundry and dishes. I am thankful that he hugs me and loves me unconditionally. If it weren't for him I would be a totally different person.

2. I am thankful for my sister Sarah. Even in my crazy, non-medicated times she always sticks by me. I'm thankful that I have memories of eating toothpaste off of the back of a dresser with her. I'm thankful that I had someone to steal clothes from in middle school. I'm thankful that I have someone who knows what I'm talking about when I complain about my mother. I'm thankful that when I feel sad, or happy or worried and scared, I can always call her and she can relate to how I'm feeling.

3. I am thankful for my mother. I'm thankful that she told me I was a good ballerina when I wasn't and that she said I was a wonderful singer when I could have made people's ears bleed. I'm thankful that she taught me morals and manners, and I'm thankful that I can call her a friend as well as a parent.

4. I am thankful for my grandmother. I am thankful that she always gave me Avon makeup and hot bread and terrible tasting soup. I am thankful that she took us to the lake on hot summer days and was always available to pick me up from school when I had a tummy ache. I'm thankful that she taught me it was okay to be different and that sci-fi books were cool. I'm thankful that because of her example I am able to be a strong woman who is confident that her differences make her a better human being rather than a weird-o.

5. I am thankful for my father. I am thankful that he taught me about Monty Python, Pink Floyd and good music. I am thankful that when times were too tough at my mom's he gave me a place to live (even if it was in the kitchen). I am thankful that because of him I have memories of my papa and magnolia trees and the box of alcohol my brother and I used to drink. Without his influence in my life I would not know how strong I can be and how hard I can fight when life gets tough.

6. I am thankful for my Aunt Diana. I am thankful that she always comes to family events with a smile on her face. I am thankful that she always invited us to her house and let us slide down her carpeted stairs. I am thankful that because of her I have memories of wonderful Christmas Eve dinners and fighting with my cousins and the laundry shoot in her daughter's room that I used to imagine sliding down. I am thankful that she accepts me no matter what, and that she is always there to lend a supportive shoulder.

7. I am thankful for my in-laws. I am thankful that they accepted me for who I am, and that they didn't try to change me. I am thankful that they raised such a wonderful man who loves his family. I am thankful that they came to stay with us for a month and that now I have memories I can pass on to my children. I am thankful that even though we don't speak the same language we can still communicate how much we love each other.

8. I am thankful for my Aunt Jeniffer (yes, her name had 2 fs and only 1 n). I am thankful that she taught me that women can be tough on the outside and soft on the inside. I'm thankful that she broke the stereo-types people have of women by becoming a Harley mechanic. I am thankful that she taught me a woman's place isn't only in the home, but it is also out in the world kicking some a%@.

9. I am thankful for my sister Martha. I am thankful that she loves me even though I burned her with cigarettes and hung her dolls from nooses when we were kids. I am thankful that I can call her when I need to know something about a weird, ancient civilization or if I have questions about how carbon-dating works. I am thankful that she shares my love for all things odd and that she doesn't think I'm too weird when I tell her about monkey prostitution.

10. I am thankful for my brother Zachary. I am thankful that he gave me chicken McNuggets he smuggled out of McDonald's when we didn't have food. I am thankful that I have memories of carving bible quotes into his bed and watching X-Men on weekday afternoons. I am thankful that he has always been there for me when I needed him and that he has always been my friend.

So that's this Thursday's list. Tune in next week for my list, "Ten Reasons I am Thankful for Janitors."