#91- I am thankful for spending NYE at home in my pjs.

I am thankful for quiet nights spent at home, especially on New Year's Eve.

When everyone seems to be out and about at a variety of celebratory places, I like to be home, in my pajamas, with my life-partner-in-crime.  People are kind of crazy on New Year's Eve and on top of that there is imbibing-overload. I'd rather be off the road and at a safe distance from drunk drivers and out-of-control and rambunctious folks.

I prefer to ring in the new year in the comfort of my own home, being able to reflect on the past year and enjoying the company of my precious cats and life-mate. Being comfortable in my pj's  sweats and slippers is how I like to spend the last moments of the year and the first moments of the new year.  It's not that I don't like being out and about and surrounding myself with friends and family and general joviality, I just prefer to lay low on such a glitter, libation and confetti-filled night.

Being able to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, a roof over our heads, the love of our family, friends and of course pets, the love in our hearts and being able to be grateful for what we have rather than focusing on what we don't have is how I'd like to spend this year and the years to come.

#90- I am thankful for common courtesy.

I am thankful for common courtesy.

I am thankful every single time a complete stranger holds a door for me, gives up their seat on the train for me, says please and thank you and offers assistance if it looks like I might need it.  It often feels like kindness and politeness are contagious. After witnessing someone being kind, I want to follow suit and be kinder to others as well.  I want to give up my seat on the train for someone who looks like they need it more than I do, I want to hold the door for the person behind me, I want to help someone with their belongings up and down the stairs, I want to be a better person.

There are times when I think that the concept of common courtesy, manners and being polite are not a priority in our society.  Working in retail and in a major theme park for several years, I could count on 2 hands the number of children who were polite without their adults urging.  I don't understand this since I remember being taught to say please and thank you and may I have from a very early age.  Even adults seem to have forgotten these common phrases.

Please be kind to others. Please be polite to others. Let those concepts be contagious. Thank you for reading :)

#89- I am thankful for J.K. Rowling.

J.K. Rowling has created a magical world that has allowed me and millions of others to get lost in. Without her I wouldn't still be waiting for my letter from Hogwarts and wish that I was friends with Harry, Ron and Hermione.

The world she created is more than just a fantasy world. It's a mystical place with witches and wizards, owls and rats, goblins, trolls and house-elves. There are lessons to be learned and morals to be gained from reading these books.

I was resistant to reading these books initially, as I thought it was just a passing fad and I wasn't that interested in the fantasy genre to begin with but I will forever be thankful for the professor who gave it as a reading assignment in a Children's Literature class.

I love being able to get lost in these books and the enchanting world within the pages and even though I know it isn't real, it almost seems as if I've been transformed as I finish the last page.

Thank you J.K. Rowling for your creativity and ability to create a world that I wish was real.

#88- I am thankful for the "holiday spirit."

I know not everyone agrees with me on this, but I LOVE Christmas-time and the holidays. I'm not Christian AND I've worked in retail, two things that should make me less enthusiastic about this time of year. But there's something about the decorations, the movies, the carols, the sights and smells of Christmas that I just LOVE.  I love classy holiday decorations and I love the tackiest of holiday decorations. I am in all my glory wearing an ugly Christmas sweater and gaudy Christmas headbands with antlers. I just love it.

I've got the Christmas spirit and it's hard to deny. Even though the "holiday spirit" is something that is primarily felt this time of year, I wish that people could be generous, thoughtful and kind the whole year through. The concept of giving to those in need and being kind to others should be something that isn't ignored once Christmas is over.  I wish that that the idea of holiday spirit could be spread throughout the year and that it was a part of our everyday human spirit.

I am thankful for the holiday spirit and I am going to try to keep it all year through.

#87 I am thankful for shared recipes.

This Thanksgiving, our meal was made that much better because of shared recipes. Both family and friends were a part of our meal even though they were not actually with us for dinner.

I am thankful for recipes that are passed down through families and become traditions at holidays and other special meals. These traditions help us stay close to our families even though they may live far away or are no longer with us.

Just as our lives have been shaped by our families and the people we hold close to our hearts, our meal was also shaped by our loved ones. While our Thanksgiving table only had 2 people seated at it, while preparing the meal, eating and enjoying our food, we were thankful for the people in our life.

I am thankful for my quiet Thanksgiving that was made better by people who shared their delicious recipes with me.

#86- I am thankful for bedtime stories!

#86- I am thankful for bedtime stories.

(A follow-up to the previous post)

I love reading. I love books. I love reading books to children! I love when children enjoy being read to!  

I am thankful for each and every bedtime story that I have read and all the bedtime stories that were read to me.  I remember being read to as a child and loving every moment. I loved listening and using my imagination. And I love being able to give children that opportunity as well. It's such a special bonding time between a child and an adult. Bedtime stories can be soothing and calming. Bedtime stories can inspire. Bedtime stories can enrich your life.

Every time I read a bedtime story to children I'm transported to a sweeter, more gentle time when things were simple and life wasn't quite as complicated.  It's hard to become overwhelmed with doubt and sadness but when I read bedtime stories to children, I'm able to be present and in the moment and not focus on the things that give me stress.

I look forward to every moment where I'm able to read to children and would love to be able to do it more often! 

#84 and #85- What are kids thankful for?

I asked a pair of 4 year old twins what they were thankful for and the responses are as follows.

(#84) Twin 1- I'm thankful for you! (I then received a hug which completely melted my heart.) I am thankful for my sister! I am thankful for my mom and dad! I am thankful for everyone else!

(#85) Twin 2- I'm thankful for EVERYBODY! When I asked her to elaborate I recieved a "I'm just thankful for everybody!"

I then got to snuggle them while reading bedtime stories. These are the moments that I am thankful for. I am thankful for these darling children!