Green Oasis

I am grateful for…

1. … a week spent with my little family.
2. … a week without blogging. (More on that later.)
3. … new clothes in cheering colors.
4. … friends who ask where I went on my week off.
5. … the chance to work for a living.

You may not have noticed. In these posts, I have avoided the mention of negative aspects of the things I am grateful for. It is really easy to fall into the mode of “This thing over here is pretty crappy, but I’m grateful for it because…”. That seems contrary to what I’m trying to achieve: more openness to the good things in my life.

So, I try to never use the word “but” when expressing gratitude. Instead, I focus solely on the parts that I’m thankful for.

1. LDS Church, thank you for introducing me to many good people. There are worse ways to start out in life than being surrounded by people who try hard to do what they see as the right thing and who repeatedly emphasize how important it is to know the truth.
2. Thank you to my employer. I am grateful for the means to consistently put food in front of my family.
3. To my daughters, thank you for teaching me what it means to be a human being.
4. To the authors of Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About Sex, but Were Afraid They’d Ask, thank you for giving me a more reasoned, accepting view of my own sexual development. It’s good to know that I grew up rather typically. I’m sure my daughters will also have reason to thank you in years to come.
5. I am grateful for the chance to get good sleep. For this, I mostly have to thank myself. It’s up to me to make the most of the opportunities I have.

I’m grateful for …

1. … the chance to find a companion with whom I can share each day of my life, who has the strength and flexibility to stick with me through thick and thin.
2. … the opportunity to work with computers. I had no idea early in life that I would become a computer geek, but here I am.
3. … the chance to watch two brilliant girls grow up.
4. … a headache that seems like it will only last half of Monday.
5. … a job (perhaps I should leave it at that, but I’m also thankful for a job …) that lets me get up and take a walk when my brain gets fried.

I am grateful…

1. … for time I had this weekend to play with my daughters and reconnect. It’s easy to forget to do.
2. … that my wife is feeling a bit better. I missed her typical vivacity.
3. … that I’m not drowning under all the math required by my class this semester.
4. … for a steady job that provides the necessities of life.
5. … that my health allows me to enjoy life.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I can blog about my gratitude without seeming to jump on the bandwagon. It’s a fashionably late sort of thing. Anyway…

1. My wife and children are always the first people who spring to my mind. I enjoy spending time with them and helping them. Each one enriches my life in unique ways. I am grateful that they are part of my life.
2. I am grateful for a seemingly stable job. In these turbulent times, I understand how precarious a thing jobs are. I’ve been unemployed and remember how demoralizing it can be. I hope I don’t have to relive that.
3. I am grateful to be alive. The fact that I am currently enjoying my turn at life is astounding. There was and will be an eternity of time without me in the universe. This short time between those voids of nonexistence is precious to me.
4. I am thankful for my health. It could be gone tomorrow, in the blink of an eye. Or it could slowly ebb away with age. I hope to enjoy it while it lasts.
5. I am grateful to live in an age of enlightenment. I often bemoan our superstition and ignorance, but the truth is that knowledge is more available than ever before.