To be thankful

This day I had two distinct simple delights creep up on me. The first occurred while driving home from work. While stopped at a light, I looked to my left, mid-yawn to find a young boy, possibly eleven years old, in the passenger seat of the car next to me just turning to meet my gaze, also mid-yawn. We both wrapped up our yawns at the same time, and to my delight we followed with simultaneous grins at one another. This was particularly delightful, as I've found I expect rudeness or contempt generally from most young boys encountered in those anonymous ways. But this kid found our simultaneous yawning just as amusing as I did, and I count myself lucky to have had such a pleasant illusion-shattering moment with him.

Negativity seems to grow on me these days, like a subtle tree fungus. It's there, I can see it, but it often seems small enough to ignore. I realized this evening how I could get eaten away by it. Thus this blog. I want to acknowledge the goodness in my life, in the world, in other people and things. Each day.

My second simple delight was shared with a more intimate partner, my husband Michael (or well my almost-husband but who shall henceforward be referred to as my husband, as that is how I think of him). We work different schedules and therefore sleep at different times. However, when we do get the rare chance to put each other to bed we usually take it. Tonight it was Michael who was headed to bed early. We crawled in under the covers and were chatting, cuddled close, facing each other. When he started to turn away from me (most likely to avert an impending tickle attack) I pleaded "Turn around" in a sing-songy way and he followed by singing "every now and then I fall apart". We both immediately giggled our way through the rest of the chorus, me nuzzling my toes in the crook of his knees to keep them warm. I can't even express in words the sense of overwhelming joy I got from our silliness, our connectedness. I've led a very blessed life, not without struggle or strive (both internal and external), but one full of enchantment, wonder, grace and unfettered joy and delight. For all of this, I am thankful.