And So I'm Thankful...

This time of year can be difficult for many people. This year, I’m one of those people. It’s just the way the cookie crumbled, as Lucy Riccardo would say. 

So what do you do when you’re facing the holidays? What do you do when every time you turn on the television, you see a bevy of commercials where everyone is happy go lucky and cheerful and that’s the last thing you feel? 

Well, during these times (you know, these times- these times that try men’s souls), we must be intentional. If you’ve been with Whiskers on Kittens for a while, then you know I’ve spoken about this before. (See posts here and here and here.)

Considering that this week, the United States will be celebrating Thanksgiving’s Day, I posit that we must be intentional about being grateful. 

Remember Pollyanna? When she looked around and saw all sorts of things about which to complain, she decided to ferret out the positive aspects of the negative situation instead. 

“... there is something about everything that you can be glad about, if you keep hunting long enough to find it.”

So, today I’m going to tell you, dear readers, a few of those favorite things for which I am grateful.

I’m thankful to have a husband who, though often halfway around the world, is tethered so close to my heart, that he knows my highs and my lows and everything in between. 

I’m thankful for the bevy of books that are growing my TBR pile to potentially toppling heights. Here are a few that are waiting to to be read that I’m particularly thankful for:
A Certain Age by Beatriz Williams (see posts here and here for more of her work)
Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge
The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz (see this post to get a feel for his writing)
The English Wife (which is not released yet, but I’m all anticipation) by Lauren Willig (see this post for more on her Pink Carnation Series a la Scarlet Pimpernel) 
A Treacherous Curse (another one whose arrival I await eagerly) by Deanna Raybourn (See posts here and here for more of her work)
A Flame in the Mist by Renee Adhieh
Sword-Bound by Jennifer Roberson (not her fantasy novels, but this post highlights one of her historical pieces)
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Maybe this was a bad idea to start listing them. There are just so many. How many of you out there know my dilemma? 

I’m thankful for my DVR where the new season of Masterpiece’s Poldark is recorded. Along with Netflix’s Anne with an E. Oh, and the final season of Longmire. (This girl LOVES Longmire.)

I’m thankful the Justice League is out in the theaters. And Murder on the Orient Express. (Superman, and Wonder Woman, AND Kenneth Branagh. Oh my!)

I’m thankful for NUMI Earl Grey tea. And Starbuck’s Cinnamon Dulce coffee. And Coffeemate’s Natural Bliss Maple Pecan creamer. 

I’m thankful for my “I’m silently correcting you’re (crossed out) your grammar” mug that I drink that tea out of nearly every morning. I’m thankful for the friends who gave it to me. 

I’m thankful for crochet. (This is something of which I do not write, but which I truly love.)

I’m thankful for Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn because it’s so soft and wonderful to work with for a worsted weight.

I’m thankful for my mother who crochets, too, and shares late night laced coffees and lots and lots of laughs, not to mention copious wisdom and bountiful love, with me. 

I’m thankful for my little brother who is a giant now, but must always remember that I am older no matter how tall he gets. He can make me laugh so hard with his common sense, guileless remarks chock full of wisdom. 

I’m thankful for my bosom friends, those kindred spirits who have and continue to enrich my life. (You know who you are, dear hearts.) 

I’m thankful for my feline family. My kitties are the best (I may be a tad biased). Every morning they wake up with one intent: pets. Lots of pets. And food. And cuddles. When the most dire of situations rears its head, my kitties only lavish their love unconditionally. That unconditional love is extravagant and I am immensely grateful for it. 

I’m even thankful for the hard times. The arduous times. The times when pain and grief are so acute, for it is in those times when the outpouring of love from those around us is felt most keenly. (And, of course, I’m thankful for each person who has slathered me with love thick and sweetly like butter on a dense slice of pumpkin bread.)

As you go into this week, whether it’s something you’re looking forward to or something you’re dreading, remember that you must be intentional. Decide that you will be grateful. Even if it’s for the most infinitesimal thing- like your favorite coffee mug or television show or the soft flannel sheets you sleep on. Look for the good, for when you do, you surely will find it. 

What are some things, big or small, that you are grateful for?