Grateful

As the holidays arrive I am calm. We are not traveling. We do not have big plans with family or friends. I’ll be working nights and trying to talk my husband through cooking his first turkey during the day. I only have eight hours between shifts on Thanksgiving day. Just enough time to catch a wink and eat a bite. We are going simple. A turkey, stuffing and green bean casserole. Just the five of us with little fanfare.

I am grateful we won’t be doing a last minute scrub down of the house. (Now certainly if my kids felt like cleaning their rooms I would not complain). But I am also grateful for many other things. For my family - that sweet babe who insisted on showering with me yesterday, her perfect rubenesque body, soft soft skin and tiny person voice. For that young man who is still sleeping at nearly 11:00 am. Yesterday he wanted to fish so he hopped on his bike with a fishing pole and took off for the pond - a Norman Rockwell moment if I’ve ever seen one. For middle daughter who in the midst of a sleep over decided to come home. She wanted to be in the arms of her family. And for my husband who got up a 5:00 am to go to work. The same man who will hold down the Thanksgiving fort while I work. I’m grateful we are bringing in the bacon, so to speak, even if it means odd work schedules and irregular hours.

I am grateful for a roof over our heads and a family that would take us in should this roof disappear. I’m grateful for yarn and knitting and the calm it brings. I’m grateful for home cooked food that fills this house with love. I am grateful for our health. I’m grateful for wine and beer and spirits to share with friends. I’m grateful for the labrador who sleeps on my bed. I’m grateful for my down comforter and flannel sheets. I’m grateful for my neighbor who brings over fresh roasted coffee.

We have so many things. And the one thing no economy can take away? Love. If we were huddled in a tent, cold and hungry and not knowing what was to come, we would have love. About that I am certain.

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Every year we make a holiday DVD for our friends and family. It is a slide show of photos set to music. This year the theme is gratefulness. I have been struggling to come up with music. I want is an upbeat indy folk song that talks about being grateful - is that too much to ask?

Here are a few contenders:

The Littlest Birds by They Might be Tanyas

Born to Hum by Erin McKeown

Any suggestions?