Idol, Week 5: Thanks for Giving...

[adoptedwriter]

 Week 5 Prompt:

Thanks for Giving

 

Billie: Thanks for giving life…3 times! My sisters and I love our lives, even on the crappy days. We have our families and one another. We have good jobs, good kids and are building memories whenever we can. You put your life on the line to have us and could have made other choices, but you gave us the chance to live even though it caused you to suffer financially, physically and often emotionally.

 

My Parents-Who-Raised-Me: Thank you for giving me a caring, loving home with advantages, pets, vacations in Florida, learning experiences and opportunities to meet amazing extended family and friends. Thank you for never giving up on me when I failed in math and sports and could never be the person you hoped I would be. I still turned out OK, just different.

 

My Grandmothers: Thank you for giving yourselves as the perfect female role models I needed. Thank you for always accepting my differences, needs, quirks and thoughts with grace and sincerity. Thank you for playing games with me and teaching me how to read and love books. Thank you for keeping me from never feeling 100% alone and being there for every holiday and birthday.

 

Nanette: Thank you for giving best-friendship since we were 10 years old and formed a bond as misfits in the Occupational Therapy room because we sucked at gym class, penmanship and a few other life skills. We traveled that path together and later traveled to Spain as exchange students together where we could share in unforgettable adventures. Thank you for being supportive of me…every…single…time. You have never let me down.

 

My Kids and Grandkids: Thank you for being YOU! You all put kindness, beauty, decency, integrity sensitivity and joy into the Universe every day. You fill the world with purpose, wonder and optimism.

 

My Husband: Thank you for being the most trustworthy person I have ever met. Even when your truth, (point of view), differs from my truth, I still know it’s a truth. You are also probably the person with the highest work ethic I have ever met, sometimes to the point of putting your own well-being on the line. I’m not sure how necessary it is all the time, but you are the best at what you do. I admire your intelligence and your vast knowledge in an array of subjects. It’s a super-power you possess.

 

“Glen”: Thank you for coming around after 15 years of avoiding me and at last opening up your home and family to me so that we could have a few good years together. I know it was a shameful secret you kept for a long time. It took courage to come around and fess up to your wife and other kids / my three sisters and 1 brother. Thank you for serving our country and showing everyone that it is possible to be both patriotic and liberal-thinking when it comes to human rights and social justice. 

 

Every Pet I have ever owned/lived with: Thank you for giving love and acceptance every day without fail. Thank you for your companionship, warmth, entertainment , beauty and patience. You are all proof that pets are so much more than, "It's just a__(insert pet animal word)__".

 

There are sooo many others I could give thanks to, but I would be here all month:

• The lady who saved my brother when he choked on a hot dog when he was one-year-old
• My in laws for raising a fine son
• The people I work with for being so decent and enjoyable
• My neighborhood, which feels secure and friendly
• Certain entertainers, artists and writers who have added to my quality of life
• Certain creators of inventions and other technologies 
• Doctors who have found medical cures and improved treatments

 

I don’t set aside one day or one month to show gratitude. I try to think about it each day, even if I don’t specifically say so. Before I lead a Zumba class, I thank the Universe for being able to do this. After the class, I thank the Universe for being able to successfully complete the session. When I drive I ask for and thank the Universe for my safety. I also thank the Universe for being a healthy person with no limitations. I have a very blessed life in a lot of ways.

 

Happy Thanksgiving, Everybody!