Thankful Thursday

Today reminds me to be thankful.  There are so many thing I take for granted in life, and yesterday I was forced to remember just how grateful I should be.  I wanted to name at least 40 things I can be thankful for in my life without counting the most obvious things I think about everyday.  I wanted to thank God for the things I sometimes (oftentimes) take for granted.  The things that aren't naturally available to everyone in our big cruel world.

1. I'm thankful for two strong, working legs.
2. I'm thankful for two ears that can hear my sons playing in the other room.
3. I'm thankful for two hands that are nimble and steady.
4. I'm thankful for the clean air I breath so thoughtlessly everyday.
5. I'm thankful for creative ideas that can be shared.
6. I'm thankful for forgiveness and that it has gotten me through so many obstacles. 
7. I'm thankful for a strong flexible back that allows me to bend over and pick up small children.
8. I'm thankful that I live in a place where I don't have to worry about my sons being kidnapped, drugged, and forced into being a killing child soldier.  Because those places exist on this earth, and the earth is a small place.
9.  I'm thankful for my family's good health and strong bones.
10. I'm thankful for naptime.
11. I'm thankful for music and the way it can transform a space.
12. I'm thankful for a mouth full of healthy strong teeth that can bite through an apple.
13. I'm thankful for apples and the taste and feel of them on my tongue.
14. I'm thankful for clothes that fit.
15. I'm thankful for a bed that is warm.
16. I'm thankful for heat I can turn on at my own will, and turn off when I'm too warm.
17. I'm thankful for spring and they way it comes back every year.
18. I'm thankful for paper and how it has transformed communication.
19. I'm thankful for a working server because it means I can skype with people from home.
20. I'm thankful there are people at home to skype with.
21. I'm thankful that all of my windows roll up in my car.
22. I'm thankful for my sense of smell combined with fresh baked banana bread still in the oven.
23. I'm thankful for having a place to go to work every morning.
24. I'm thankful for schools and free education.
25. I'm thankful for laughter and how it spreads.
26. I'm thankful for Hulu.
27. I'm thankful that my techie husband that figured out how to use Hulu over here.
28. I'm thankful for libraries.
29. I'm thankful for the car I get to drive my son to school in.
30. I'm thankful for the wellies that keep all of our feet dry on the rainiest days.
31. I'm thankful for clean floors.
32. I'm thankful for toast with butter and honey.
33. I'm thankful for sleepy heads that rest on my shoulders.
34. I'm thankful for movies that give me an escape.
35. I'm thankful for sketchbooks that fill with ideas.
36. I'm thankful for the ability to read, and the time to do it.
37. I'm thankful for dinners and breakfasts out with friends.
38. I'm thankful for date nights and getting all dressed up.
39. I'm thankful for love.
40. I'm thankful for internal organs that work well enough that I don't have to carry around a bag to pee in.
41. I'm thankful for moments of silence.
42. I'm thankful for warm clothes right out of the drier.
43. I'm thankful for the man who delivers our milk every week.
44. I'm thankful for all of the times when the electricity does work, and I can have light with the flick of a switch.
45. I'm thankful for safe drivers and carseats.
46. I'm thankful for pizza.
47. I'm thankful for free speech.
48. I'm thankful for a voice that is trained to be heard.
49. I'm thankful for blogs.
50. I'm thankful for clean water to drink.
51. I'm thankful for the fact that I can so easily come up with 50 things to be thankful for.