Thankful for the Little Things

Every November, Facebook turns into one big lovefest.  It's the "in thing" to post each day with something you are thankful for.  Last year, I wrote a letter each day to those I wanted to show appreciation to and posted them as notes on Facebook for all to read.  I got really mushy gushy, sentimental, and intimate, more often than not making myself cry as I was writing them.  I think I quit after like the 15th letter though because I couldn't think of anyone else to include.

Yesterday, November 1st, I saw the "thankful statuses" begin.  First, I was like, "Why are they doing this already?!"  Then I realized what the date was.  I think I was still stuck in my Halloween candy hangover.  Then I got annoyed.  I swear I see the same things over and over again..."Today I am thankful for my family"...."Today I am thankful for my job"....  Yes yes, these are all valid things to be thankful for, but I'm bored.  Have yah'll noticed how easily I get bored?

I kind of jokingly put up this status so I could join in and be one of the cool people:

I'm thankful that Luke's mom made him get a new pillow today. *shutter* *gag* Throwing that old one away! ;)

I was just being a smart ass, but it got me thinkin'.  We should be thankful for little things too, right?  When I'm having a shitty day and I think, "EVERYTHING today has gone wrong," I rewind and take a moment to think of some things that went right.  Sometimes its the smallest of things, "I had a 5 minute shower before my kids came screeching into the bathroom"..."I got a handful of M&M's today"...."I didn't get any bills in the mail"..."A line on Phineas and Ferb made me laugh"....  These little things bring me out of that mood where I think everything went wrong so then everything from that point on is met with contention and therefore does, in fact, go wrong.  The little things are important!

So although I am thankful for my kids, my husband, my parents, my in-laws, my friends, my ability to eat and be sheltered, etc, I'm also thankful for the little things like:

• yarn
• jammies and slippers
• Nutella (thanks to Carrie for bringing that up this morning)
• cartoons
• Pandora Radio
• the wooden swing in our backyard
• sharpie markers
• the smell of campfires
• Halloween costumes for my dogs
• super hot bubbly baths
• new undies
• Geico commercials
• postcards from Sally and Sophia
• really strong magnets on my fridge
• Spider Solitaire
• sweet tea
• surprise pictures of my bestie's Caden with the message, "Happy Wednesday"
• sneeze farts (What?! They just make me laugh!)
• Ernie's tail
• pretty painted toenails
• my big fuzzy brown blanket
• Jason Mraz, John Mayer, and Michael Buble
• the fact that FB has a pirate language setting
• flip flops

Go on, go make a list of your own!  It will make you smile and appreciate everyday stuff on a day that you thought was all wrong.