I sweat the small stuff: Giving Thanks

In my mission statement posts, I noted that I seek to find the joy in the small stuff. I thought Thanksgiving Eve would be a more than appropriate occasion to list out some of the small (& big) things that give me joy.

Family - (We'll start with the obvious biggie.) I have a fantastic husband, a wonderful daughter, and amazing parents. In a state far, far away (called Nebraska), I have more family, for who I am also grateful.

Look at us. All on our honeymoon & stuff.

Look at her all small & unsuspecting. And do you know I really have grown to love her more EVERY dang day??

They SAY they moved to Florida for the beach. The beach was here all along. A certain granddaughter was not. ;)

Family

More Family

My job - it's rewarding & not overly stressful. I have a true "work-life balance." I work with a great group of people. My immediate work group consists of some of my closest Florida friends, aside from being an inspiring collection of professionals. The group I work with inside the hospital offers me still more great friendships and still more hardworking colleagues. Oh, also - I have a job. I have a job in a hospital, which gives me a unique sense of gratitude for ...
My health - Oh, I'm sure we're all grateful for our health. It's part of the litany of things we say we're grateful for, right? I always said so. This is my 6th year working in a hospital. I'm amazed every day at my incredible fortune to be so healthy and to have healthy friends & family. Every day, I feel like I haven't quite learned the lesson adequately and resolve that I need to stay right where I am.

If it were only that though, it would be a morbid lesson, wouldn't it? I'm not dying, so I should be grateful. What's inspiring is how wonderful many of the people are. The joy that patients and family can find - even in the worst of times. It's that lesson that I'm grateful for, and that I want to keep learning.

Technology - That family back in Nebraska? I am actually able to keep in pretty good contact with them. Oh, I suppose a hundred years ago, I would have written letters, or simply not moved to Florida. But the fact that I was able to pick up & move to this place where my life found me ... yet, still pick up the phone and talk to my Grandpa once a week - Amazing. Worth giving thanks for. In particular ...
Social Media - Facebook has allowed me to reconnect with old friends. In some cases, I've become better friends with someone online than I was in real life! Blogging & Twitter introduced me to a whole host of people (mostly women) with similar interests and concerns. I've made real connections with erstwhile total strangers.

Not to mention that I have friends back home that are even worth keeping in touch with, added to the fact that we DO keep in touch. That's worth saying thank you!

Gratitude - what? No, I mean it. I'm grateful that I'm grateful. I remember being a discontented teen. I remember not seeing the joy in small things and how wonderful life is. I'm not entirely sure where the credit lies for the change --- The sun shining nearly every day where I live now? Having found my life's love? Having become the mother to a wonderful child? Just having grown older?
Mistakes - I'm grateful that they've mostly been pretty harmless. The bigger ones of the past have not impeded my current happiness. The bumps here & there in the here & now tend to simply help me correct course.

There's more I give little thanks for every day. Today, I was thrilled to find my perfect K-cup (Tully's Kona Blend). I savored the pumpkin whoopie pie a work-pal brought in. I was delighted when my daughter started tapping the beat to La Grange when it came on the end of an NPR story. I was doubly delighted, when I told my husband the story; he found the song on YouTube, and we had a family dance party. I even took pleasure in exercising & listening to podcasts, then pre-prepping a few Thanksgiving dishes while listening to music.

There's big & small joy out there. Find your happy; follow it ... then don't forget to notice it!