5 Things I'm Thankful For (Re. Mobility, and Post-Weirdest Week EVER).

Five things I'm grateful for after what may be the oddest week in America and with what could be, to put it mildly, called some challenges with mobility, are:

1. Technology. I cut out cable a while back for cost purposes, but even if I'd had it, I'm not sure I'd have been glad to rely on it with so many errors as the Boston bombing events unfolded.
2. The Hidden Protectors. I'm so grateful for those beautiful first responders during these attacks, and those who were gracious and generous outside of their jobs, but I'm always more aware than ever during times like these of the people in our military and intelligence communities who give of their lives to protect our freedoms on a regular basis, so we don't have to see the ugliness we witnessed last week.
3. Safety. This might seem pretty obvious, but it's really something we take for granted. From keeping OSHA inspectors away to Boston bombers, there are many people who care less about our safety, and it makes me grateful for those who are on top of it.
4. Sunshine. Because life's better with brighter days.
5. Compassion. These times bring out the best and worst in us (terror on a grand scale, limited mobility on a MUCH smaller one), but compassion overrides that, and my cup overflows when I have it and when I receive it. 

Pray for Boston. Pray for Texas. Pray for Iraq. Pray for us all.

Not just hashtags on Twitter. Not just something to do last week.

Boston Commons, March 2007

5 Things I'm Thankful For (The Crutch Version).

The top five things I'm thankful for while on crutches are:

1. Days when fire alarms don't go off. There's probably no real need to elaborate here.
2. People who hold open doors. This is not a joke. Never underestimate the value of your kindness to a friend or a stranger. Crutch users get all kinds of cardio from merely walking down the hall, so it's super nice when able-bodied people take a few minutes and open what has suddenly turned into a really tedious door for them. I will forevermore go out of my way to do this for those who have found themselves to be handicapped, and if I don't, shame on me. 
3. Sunny days. Many things do not mix well. Oil and water. Hair and food. My daddy and big cities. RAIN AND CRUTCHES. Also, apparently the world ends when water hits a cast? That said, I really don't think it's too much to ask the weather to work around my schedule for the next 8 weeks, do you?
4. Bags. Pre-crutches, I had no idea how handy bags were. I mean, I thought I knew, but I really did not. Now I know. I get it. I really, really get it. Bag makers, you rock, and I love each and every one of you. 
5. Kindness and consideration. See explanation beside #1. (I'm not being lazy. I genuinely mean this. Every smile and gesture is noted and appreciated.)

5 Things I'm Thankful For (Post-Isaac).

A visit from Mother Nature's roughest and toughest can remind you that it doesn't hurt to be grateful for the little things...like every second you have them. :-)

So on this post-Hurricane Isaac holiday and long weekend o' recovery (God BLESS America!), here are five things I'm grateful for:

1. Electricity. No need to expound.
2. Community. While it's painful (and slightly guilt-inducing) to know many are still without power or have damage to their homes and property, it is a wonderful relief to see communities band together to provide service in ways we sometimes forget exist. Since the last storm, that is. Churches sending non-perishables to those who can only get to their still flooded homes by boat. Non-profit workers buying tables full of service workers' meals at the only restaurant open in a washed out town. And the list goes on. Blessed are we.
3. Communication. I've lived through scarier, higher-category storms without knowing how my friends and relatives in Mississippi were faring, or if they were faring, but thankfully, our family had open communication lines during this storm. Phones worked, my parents' electricity stayed on, my uncle was able to get my grandmother to Tennessee before the storm reached the Gulf Coast -- my relief couldn't have been more palpable.
4. The work of my hands. To put it kindly, I'm an anxious person. So during anxious times, I've learned that keeping busy is more or less a survival mode for me. For that reason, I can't help but wonder if God led me to work in public relations so I could have meaningful work to do during and after these events. My nail chewing and hair twirling about the overall situation still occur, but at least I have a task. And it actually helps people. This is good, and I'm thankful for it -- moreso with each storm. Because apparently, unlike some, I'm not "mellowing with age." ;-)
5. Days of rest. See #1.

While I'm enjoying my power being back on and trying not to hem and haw about how to get the yard cleaned up with a bum foot, I realize these are selfish, subjective feelings, and my heart breaks for those who are dealing with everything that comes with natural disaster.

My prayers go out to all dealing with the aftermath of this storm, as well as those who are still trying to overcome and learn to deal with the physical, mental and emotional toll that Hurricane Katrina put the Gulf states through seven years ago.

5 Things I'm Thankful for Today.

Five things I'm grateful for at this second are:

1. Fall.

2. Weekends.

3. Fulfilling work.

4. Friends and family who love me past my flaws.

5. Energy.

5 things I'm thankful for.

Five things I'm grateful for today are:

5. Tropical weather that doesn't get serious.

4. Holidays!
3. A hint of fall in the air.
2. Books. Books. Books!
1. Electricity. (See #5.)

Five Things I'm Thankful For.

Five things I'm thankful for today are:

5. Haircuts.

4. Fulfilling work.

3. Prayer.

2. Digital photography.

1. Music.

A heart full of gratitude.

Today, I'm thankful for:

1. Love. It's in the air, not only with several dear friends getting married and planning weddings, but just all around. ::happy sigh::

2. Sunshine! It's amazing what a little Vitamin D can do for ya.

3. True colors. Even though they're not always pretty, they're certainly valuable, and teach us many lessons (that hopefully enrich our lives).

4. Modern medicine. I'm counting on it for small(ish, relatively speaking) things, like a non-coma-inducing fix for my nagging headaches, and for massively large things, like cures for the nasty monster that is cancer, and for proactive genetic indicators for dear friends whose parents suffered from frightening diseases.

5. Time. It's a valuable thing, and I learn that more with each day, not to mention year.

Five Things.

Five things I'm most thankful for lately are:

1. The ability to choose what is good for me and what is not, and to cut out the ick when possible. I've learned that this applies to everything from food to grocery store lines to who I choose to spend time with.

2. The realization that the peeps who really love me really love me.

3. The opportunity to spend time with my precious, growing-like-a-weed Alabama nephew who never fails to make me cackle.

4. Reminders that life is short, and that we should not wait.

5. Curly hair. (Let's face it. Humidity would be a lot tougher to handle without it.)

TGIF + 4 = :-)

Five things I'm thankful for are...

1. It's almost FRIDAY.

2. Friendships that pick up immediately where they left off, no matter when that "left off" occurred.

3. Meeting new peeps!

4. When a diet finally seems to be working. Whew.

5. Answered prayers, specifically in the form of divine appointments, affirmation, and well-timed encouragement.

The Highest of Five.

5 things I'm thankful for are right this second are...

1. Peeps who love me. I'm not going to question it (though at many times it seems kind of crazy), but I'll just soak it up. :-)

2. A quenched thirst. Even if, as Angela says, "God saw you were thirsty and sent you a tsunami," I'd rather have too much than nothing at all. Bring on the rain!

3. Music. You know.

4. Things to look forward to. Way underrated. Way appreciated.

5. Living in the South. 'Nuff said.

Five Things I'm Grateful For.

Five things I'm thankful for right now are:

1. Christmas! I love this time of year. :-)

2. Blissful boredom.  The days when drama dictated my emotions, my schedule, and my relationships were sadly not that long ago. And I couldn't be happier to be as far away from that mode as possible.

3. Health. I'm more than grateful for the good health I have, the better health I can work toward, and the modern-day options that we have to make our lives richer in the best ways.

4. Nan. My grandmother has been cracking me up for 34 years straight, and I'm grateful she's still at it. Even if I do disappoint her on a regular basis by being happily single and childless. ;-)

5. Tradition. In a world of unpredictability, it's increasingly nice to have things I can count on happening.

Water Bottle Overflowing.

Thinking of five things I'm grateful for within a week is never very difficult, but lately, I'm finding that my cup (or, more accurately, my water bottle) is overflowing.

So here are five things I'm thankful for right now:

1. Modern medicine. Allergies and headaches and other day-to-day messes stink, but where would we be without Excedrin? And Zyrtec?   ::shudder::

2. Challenges.  I started a new job Monday, and am being challenged in wonderfully intellectual new ways! I'm so excited about this, and pray I'll be able to keep up and meet the expectations I and others are setting for me. It's so amazingly refreshing to have my brain stimulated!

3. Baton Rouge water. I know I say this a lot, but have you TASTED it? Right out of the tap. Delish.

4. Family and friends. That might seem like kind of a broad group, but I truly have the best of both worlds. Really. I do not take this blessing for granted at all.

5. Coffee. 'Nuff said.

Five Things I'm Thankful For.

Five things I'm sincerely grateful for this week are:

1. Blissful time of R&R and clearing my mind.

2. Not having to waste energy on a birthday present for someone who will not appreciate one millisecond of the effort, thought or time that went into it, and who will demonstrate that by returning the gift to the store.

3. New opportunities.

4. Genuine excitement about #3. :-)

5. The peacefulness that comes with knowing people I love are safely home.

Cinco de Octobre.

Five things I'm thankful for at this moment are....

1. New beginnings. Especially for ADD, shiny-objects-distract-me-all-day-long people like me, having new and fun adventures to look forward to is just pure bliss.

2. My sweet sister. Kim came to see me this past weekend, and as always, I have to marvel at the built-in best friend God gave me in her. For one thing, she puts up with me. And then, there's all the other sweet, saintly stuff that just comes so naturally to her. :-)

3. My brother-in-law. Steve made Kim's trip to BR happen, and happen fast. And he did this not just because I wanted time with her, but because she needed it. And he recognized that, and did something about it. How rare and precious. I love that -- and him -- so very much.

4. Home. I was able to see my parents and Nan very quickly this weekend, and truly, there is no place like home. ::happy sigh::

5. Pear cake. My mother made one for my birthday! It's like apple cake, but with pears. If you have not had it, you're totally missing out. Especially when the pears and pecans come from the yard you grew up playing in. :-)

5 Things I'm Thankful For.

Five things I'm grateful for today are:

1. Fall weather. Mmmmmm mmmm good!

2. New opportunities to learn, discover, and be educated.

3. Fruit.

4. A hilarious nephew.

5. New hair.

A full heart.

It's been so long since I've posted five things I'm thankful for! I've missed it.

Today, the five things filling my heart in a big way are:

1. Family. Especially in the last few months, I'm more aware than ever of the brevity of life and how precious our time together is. I've been blessed with a crazy precious family, and it is humbling to receive their love, and to watch them receive mine.

2. Friends. See #1.

3. Security. You don't realize how important it is to you until you feel unsafe that first time -- in any way. Physically, emotionally, spiritually, professionally. Security can apply to all areas of our lives. And, thank the Lord, it does.

4. Fall weather. I love, love, LOVE fall. And I'm feeling it in the air. And that makes me so happy.

5. The broken road. I was thinking, Charlotte-style, today, "If I'd only stayed in Jackson a couple of years as originally intended, I might never have worked at Nissan, which changed my life professionally and personally. And if I had left earlier than I did, I might not've landed in Baton Rouge, which has been the best personal move of my decade," etc.

That felt good. :-)

Cinco de Beko.

It has been a WHILE since I posted five things I'm thankful for. I know I've had a little bit going on, but for the love. That's really no excuse not to stop and smell at least five roses now and then.

So, given that, here are five things in my life I am thankful for, right this minute, at the ungodly hour I'm blogging instead of sleeping due to mistimed adrenaline:

1. The Help.  The book with this title will get its own special post very soon, but right now, I'm superbly grateful not only that I read the book, but also that I got some Help of my own during this Busy Event Season. Since I started my current job in August of 2007, I have desperately needed some temporary assistance with my bank's annual Baton Rouge-area customer appreciation Crawfish Boil, and praise the Lord, I got it this time! And not only did I get it, I got it good. Aimee is an amazingly kind and hard worker, with an enthusiasm I forgot I once had. It's good to be reminded of those things sometimes. The Rebekah of 10 years ago... wow. She also worked like a dog, not because the project's success would ultimately land on her, but because it was new, and she craved doing a good job, and was new to that world, and needed to prove to those around her that she had something to offer, and that it was good. ::sigh:: Good reminder. And GREAT help.

2. Opportunities.  Sometimes opportunities come around, and though the turnaround to take advantage of them may be tight, there is absolutely no denying God's timing in them. I've experienced a big example of that lately, and am actually in the throes of it, and am just amazed when I think about the positive change it will be for me. And grateful. So. Very. Grateful.

3. Ideas.   Often, during hectic times when I barely remember to set an alarm by the end of the night, I feel fresh out of new ideas. Yet give me a few breaths of fresh air, or the right combination of songs on the radio, or a little bit of time to just be, and bam! Here they are again. I've heard of people feeling antsy after they retire. I think I would feel antsy if I didn't have that rush of new ideas every once in a while. It keeps me going, and allows me an outlet for creativity that is much-needed and much-appreciated.

4. Puppies!!!!   Oh yes, my friends, puppies. :-D   They're not mine, but my parents recently got two wriggly little things and I just can't get enough of them. And this is after one 24-hour visit! Mmmm mmm.  I love me some puppy time. Let the good times roll! In the grass! With the puppies!!!

5. Constants.   The things that never change are so very, very underrated. Like my sister and brother-in-law, for instance, and my parents. What would I do without the stability they offer, when so much of the world is spinning like a top?! I love having 5 special friends who I can text when I learn a dear kindred spirit has been diagnosed with cancer. And that no matter where I am, I must let Robert know when I see a mullet. And that despite good or bad days at school, or sickness, or rainy weather, my nephew can always make me smile, if not laugh hysterically.  The older I get, the more I realize that so many things I didn't anticipate to be seasonal are. And so many people are, too. This epiphany was sad at first, and can still be tough, but wow. The contstants definitely make it worth it.


So this is what happens when I go too long without expressing gratitude? I turn a list of 5 things into 5 pages. Good grief.

5th Element.

Five things I'm thankful for today are:

1. Bosses who listen when you say you need help.

2. Modern medicine.

3. Hair that allows for variety. (Curly, straight, ponytail, down, up, pigtails, etc.)

4. Friends in ALL places.

5. Books.

Five Things I'm Thankful For.

Five things I'm thankful for are:

1. A job that keeps me busy and pays me.

2. Cousins who crack me up.

3. A mother who reminds me of the things that matter most.

4. Spring!

5. A sunroof.

Oh-so-thankful.

I haven't posted much of what I'm thankful for lately, but that doesn't mean I'm not well aware of it. This week's top five are:

1. Experience. I have learned a lot in the past 33 years, and in the past 23 that I can remember the clearest as a semi-adult. :-) And I am so everlastingly grateful for that. 'Cause guess what? Even though I might change a few decisions along the way if I had to do it all over again, I would definitely not want to lose anything I've learned. Life: invaluable.

2. Spring. It's coming, peeps! For real! I felt it a couple of times this week and I am NOT giving up hope.

3. Lent. Even though I'm not giving anything up this year (I have a few excuses, but no really good ones), the season still has an impact on me and makes me appreciate all that Christ has done for me, and all the lagniappe I experience as His Child.

4. My daddy. He is SO smart. Really. I can't even express to you how I amazed I am when he starts talking cars. I love that his speciality is so polar opposite of mine. Sometimes it's hard to appreciate people's areas of expertise when they're similar to what you delve into every day. Ya know?

5. Our country. I know, I know. I always say this. But for real. We live in the land of the FREE. How cool is that? How close were we to being born in a Communist or Socialist country, where we did not have what we consider to be super simple choices daily? I'm just saying. I appreciate it more and more the older I get. And as my nephew will readily attest to, I'm gettin' on up there. :-)

Happy weekend, everyone! Live it up!