It’s Thanksgiving, Y’all

A few months ago, my sister’s husband, my nieces & nephew’s father, and my friend, Charlie Hall died suddenly at 35 years old. You would NOT believe the kindness of friends, family and strangers. So many people have come together to support my sister and her 5 children. I have never been more thankful than I am this year.

In the news, everyday, I am reminded of how horrible the people in this world can be. In person, everyday, I am reminded of how helpful & beautiful the people in this world can be.

So … without further ado, here is my Thanksgiving 2011 THANKFUL LIST:

1) In the midst of horrible tragedy, humans recognize the suffering of others and come together to help. I am thankful for everyone who has helped my sister and her children over the last few months.

2) I am thankful for a job that allows me to utilize my strengths, encourages me to stop working at 4:00, and lets me do all of that in my pajamas.

3) I am thankful for health insurance. It is a very difficult thing to obtain in America, especially if you are sick. I realize how privileged I am to have this luxury. In a country that has the highest healthcare costs in the world, I understand what it means to be truly thankful for the ability to go to the doctor.

4) I am thankful for a husband that recognizes the need for equality in relationships of all kind. My husband is keenly aware of the inequalities in the world, be they in sex, class, gender, or race, and he makes a commitment to improving those inequalities in his life. He is self-reflective, patient, understanding and fiercely loyal to his friends, family, and the truth.

5) I am thankful that my family never, ever pushed me to be anything that I didn’t want to be. They recognized the purposefulness in the pursuit of art, happiness and love. My family has never equated jobs or money with the success of a person.

6) I am thankful to the women and men of this country who fight to preserve it’s greatness and to move it forward to become something better than what it is today. Thank you to those that protest injustice. Thank you to those that help the needy. Thank you to those brave people that sit at the table this Thanksgiving and decide this is the year that Uncle Whoever doesn’t get to make racist/sexist comments that go unchecked …. Not this year. Thank you to everyone who makes a difference in our country.

7) I am thankful for small business owners who give their communities an option of quality. Thank you for fighting the good fight, and I know it is tough.

8) Finally, thank you for those who can cook. I suck at it. I am thankful to eat your delicious pecan pies.