Friday, November 17, 2006

Giving Thanks

The RevGalBlogPals Friday Five this week is a simple one.

It's that time of year. In the U.S., college students will be on their way home, traffic on the highways will be at its highest point, cooking and baking will ensue. But before the gorging and napping begins, let's take a moment to give thanks. Please tell us five things or people for which you are thankful this year.

Only five? That is difficult. All right...here goes. I am thankful for:

1. Memory. Watching my sister with Alzheimers and my mother with another type of dementia has caused me to value the gift of remembering. All of life is essentially a memory.

2. Color. What if we lived in a black and white world (like in the movie Pleasantville before the color came on)? How enriched my life is by the bright greens of spring, the first purple and yellow crocus, the red of the tulips in the side yard, the blue sky and bright flowers and fields of summer, the goldens and oranges of fall, the red cardinal against the white background of winter snow, the bright lights of Christmas, the delicate hues of a rainbow, a sunset, a red convertible! And how I thank God that I, the kid who was supposed to be blind, can see it.

3. Our granddaughter is on the way, due to be here around the time 2007 begins. The anticipation of this long-awaited event is part of the fun.

4. Animals. Birdsong, the soft silky fur of our little cat, Patches, the happy "smile" of a dog running in a field, elephants with their swinging trunks and big ears, horses with beautiful eyes and tails and manes, long-lashed camels, graceful giraffes, deer, bouncing through the woods as though they have springs for legs--animals are fascinating and amazing.

5. People. Exasperating, irritating, frustrating, fascinating, intriguing, glorious humanity. Relatives, children, church families, friends old and new, strangers, brown, red, white, or yellow skin tones, smiling blue eyes, large luminous brown eyes, black slanting eyes, thin, plump, willowy or stout bodies, young, old and in-between, men and women. Sometimes I wonder why we were created and how God Almighty can stand us, but sometimes I catch a glimpse of what God loves too.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

I love your catalog of people.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Anonymous said...

You really experience life in a sensual (as in 5 senses!) way. Thanks for the reminder to be aware of the splendor around me.

Anonymous said...

A beautiful list of things to be thankful for.

Anonymous said...

So much to be thankful for - where does one start?
For me - family, children, grandchildren, the two aunts I still have in my life and cousins, by the dozens!
Freedom - whether this country has some "faults" or not, it still offers us so much in the way of the various freedoms we have available to us and that is much to be thankful for!
Friends, neighbors, acquaintances - oh, so many, oh so wonderful too!
Doctors, medicine and the ability to have access to the majority of it - at least what my needs are.
Life itself - for all the beauty that surrounds us each and every day with every breath we take! Just waking up in the morning to yet another glorious day is indeed, something to thank the Good Lord above for giving that to us!

Psalmist said...

What a lovely, loving list! Thank you for sharing it. You're one of the blessings I count each day, SO.

Say, I posted some pretty autumn scenes from a beautiful venue in the Northwest. You might enjoy seeing them here.

Anonymous said...

Well Mom I thought I'd post 5 things too.
1. That I have a GREAT husband that God gave me. Daryl has attributes I didn't even think about when I thought of me "perfect husband" as a teenager. To know that God knows me so well He gave me a gift I didn't even know to ask for in Daryl.
2. That little Trinity is on her way. She is healthy and growing stronger if her kicks and break dancing is any indication.
3. A family I love and a mom who I consider one of my best friends.
4. Watching my dog run. His joy at just running always fills me with happiness. Dogs, what a wonderful creature God made.
5. A nice home to live in, even if it isn't in the "best" neighborhood. I see the homeless and think at least I have a place to put my head every night and some place warm to go and food in my belly every day.

Theresa Coleman said...

Dearest Singing Owl,
I give God thanks for YOU. You have added so much to our cybercommunity. I love the fact you aren't afraid to speak your mind or speak the truth in love. I pray that God will strengthen you in your journey with you mother and that will will know God's presence on this journey in a real way.
Prayers and Peace and Blessing,
Theresa