Thankful

It is the day before Thanksgiving and I realize that I have a lot of things to be thankful for despite the fact that my mother, father, sister and 3 of my nephews are out of town. It is easy to get caught up in the wants and focus on what we don't have and what is not working out as planned, but I decided to focus on the things that really make realize just how great my life is and how blessed I am.

1. I am thankful that my children are not only healthy, but attractive. I have always maintained that parents know when they have an ugly child and chose to ignore it, but sooner or later other people are going to stop faking it with you. I am thankful that other than my son having a slight under bite that I am pretty sure a retainer can take care of and my daughter having a fat navel that I am hoping lasts until college because I don't want to go through the belly-top phase my kids are pretty frickin' cute.
2. I am thankful for nice hair. I don't believe in "good" hair or "bad" hair, but I will admit that I have nice hair. It is low maintenance and will hold pretty much any style. I have scaled down my hair regimen to once a week and I am just bidding my time until I cut the rest of the relaxer out. I am thankful that I no longer have to wait in a chair at the hairdresser twice a week. I am thankful that I no longer have to slather my head with a product that if I were to have scratched my scalp in the last 24 hours will leave me with scabs in head. I am thankful that I am finally comfortable with the hair God gave me.
3. I am thankful not to be pregnant anymore. I know that there are some women who feel like being pregnant is great and that they feel more connected to the earth and womanhood. I am not one of those women. I never had any problems being pregnant, but all I really remember is that a person used my abdomen as a condo for 10 months and paid me back by kicking me and inducing heartburn. If I were being perfectly honest going by how I currently look in the mirror when I get out of shower they trashed the place and I don't even have security deposit to cash in to fix the place back up. I am, however, thankful that I will not have to stand and cook a meal and desserts with swollen feet and holding my back.
4. Speaking of swollen feet, I am thankful that even though some of my clothes still don't fit all of my shoes do. I can also fit my rings now. I am a big believer in the phrase "Progress is progress," and all progress should be celebrated.
5. I am thankful that I can walk, joke, laugh, and complain. I spent at least one Thanksgiving and two anniversaries feeling sick and helpless. When your husband has to wheel you around Las Vegas you learn to appreciate just standing in line. It used to hurt to laugh. I could barely stand up. I remember I would sneak and try to change my son's diapers while other people were sleeping just to prove that I wasn't useless. I am so thankful that this year I can not only cook for my family, but I am expected to. There is no sense of pity or hesitation in sight and it feels good.

I hope that you all take some time to think of all the things you have to be thankful for no matter how small it may seem. One of my best Thanksgiving memories is from a couple years ago. We were all standing in a circle saying what we were thankful for and my youngest nephew said, "I'm thankful for my family and I'm thankful for my muscles." It made everyone laugh, but we had to admit that it was any thing we can give thanks for is worth mentioning.