Thankful ABC's

I borrowed this idea from a friend's blog . . . I am short on creativity lately, so I thought I'd use it on my own. I thought it was a cute idea, so I thought I would do it here. I would love to see other people do it as well.



A- Aunty. I'm not really thankful for any of my aunties in particular, but I am extremely thankful that I get to be an aunty! I have 4 nieces and 1 nephew, and I enjoy each and every one of them. I like having one on one time with them AND time with them as a group. They bring youth, vitality and innocence to my life. And they have made my heart grow exponentially with the arrival of each one.

B- Best Friends. I am fortunate enough to have two best friends, which is twice as many as some people ever have. One lives really far away, but I get to see her quite often. The other lives much closer, and I typically see her monthly. I talk to both of them by phone very regularly, and we email lots. They both play different roles in my life, and together, they make my life complete!

C - Canada. I am very thankful that I live in Canada, which is a relatively peaceful nation, with lots of wealth. I don't have to worry about health care, and I don't have to worry about war, other than our brave soldiers that go out into the world to ensure peace. We have a great country that allows us many personal freedoms.

D - Dogs. I am so extremely thankful for my dogs (three of them at present). They are my sanity and mental health preservers. These dogs are always happy to see me, even when I've yelled at them or left them at home all day while I've been at work. They love me unconditionally, and they remind me of the simple joys of life.

E - Eating. I am so thankful that I can eat normally, and pretty much anything I want. I don't have to have my food in liquid form or anything like that. Since I know two people with major "eating" issues, this has been on my mind lately. I enjoy food so much that I would really miss being able to savour individual tastes and textures.

F - Family and Friends. I know I posted about Best Friends, but I also have a lot of very, very close friends that I rely on, as well as my family, who I am fortunate to be very close to. Without these people around me, I know I wouldn't be half the person I am right now.

G - Growth. I'm not talking about growing taller (or fatter LOL), but growing personally. I am a firm believer in continuing education, and I believe that we can learn something from everybody we meet, if we just pay enough attention. I think that personal growth is tremendously important.

H - Home. Although I don't own my own home, I'm thankful for the home that I do live in (my parents' house). Even though I complain about it being crowded and overstuffed (both of which are true, by the way), it is still HOME to me.

I - Income. I'm thankful that I have a good job that pays well. This allows me to pay off my debt and to do the things that I enjoy, such as traveling, dog shows and buying the things I want.

J - Job. I'm grateful for the job I have, as it presents me with learning opportunities every day. It continually challenges me and keeps me on my toes. I have great co-workers (don't tell them I said that or it'll go to their heads!), and a really good boss.

K - Kisses. For me, kisses from my nieces, nephew and dogs are something I definitely enjoy and appreciate. There's a sense of love and trust in that small gesture that always makes my heart swell.

L - Literature. Since I have already used B, I'm using L to capture literature. I am an AVID reader (as well as a budding author), and I can't imagine a world without literature. It captures our history as well as our imaginations.

M - Music. I'm a bit music-lover . . . I always have something playing in the background, especially Broadway musicals. I have a fairly broad range of stuff I like, and I am always interested in hearing new bands or musicians. Life would be very dull without music!

N - News. I'm thankful that we have Free Press in North America. When I was in China, it was a bit disconcerting to only read what the government deemed appropriate. I read the news every day, just to stay on top of what's happening in our world.

O - Outside. I love the outdoors, especially when it's bright and sunny outside. Even in the winter, when the sun is shining I'm quite happy to be outside with the dogs, soaking up some rays.

P - Photographs. Without a doubt, I love photographs and am so thankful for them. I am a picture BUFF, and am always waving my camera around, trying to get good pictures. I look at pictures over and over, and rely on them to help job my poor memory. I would be very sad to lose all of my pictures.

Q - Quiet. I never thought about how much I appreciate quiet until the first time we had all of the kids here for a weekend. By the second day, I felt like my ears were ringing from all the talking, laughing, crying and singing. So I am thankful for quiet moments, especially right after those busy weekends!

R - Rescue. For the number of dogs out there that need help, I am HUGELY grateful for rescue groups and all of the hard work they do. They take in dogs that would have nowhere else to go otherwise, and they bring out the best in them. They bring families and dogs together and facilitate happy endings.

S - Singing. I may not be a good singer (Okay, that's the understatement of the year!), but I love singing, and when I hear a song I know, I usually burst into song without even noticing.

T - Teachers. I can not thank the wonderful teachers that I've had enough. Those top notch teachers are the ones that instilled this love of learning in me, and encouraged me to always learn more. Without teachers, our world would not be a very fun place to live.

U - Understanding. Sometimes I really appreciate being able to understand more than just basic concepts. It makes life so much easier!

V - Vitality. Okay, so lately I haven't exactly been full of vitality, but I am thankful for the times and days that I DO have it.

W - Writing. My childhood dream was to be a published author, and I have to say that that is still a goal that is close to my heart. I truly enjoy writing and having the ability to express myself in words.

X - Okay, I can NOT think of anything with X. So I'm grateful for the other 25 letters, but this one is drawing a major blank for me LOL

Y - Youth. I am very grateful to still be younng and able to enjoy life. I realize that as you age you don't lose the ability to enjoy life, but I do think it gets tougher.

Z - Zoo. I adore the Toronto nd Calgary Zoos . . . both of them have been renovated in the past while, and they have excellent habitats for the animals. They are great places, with lots of learning opportunities and cool things to see.