I've thought a lot about how to celebrate my 100th post. 100 best running moments? 100 things I love about Lucy? That could get downright annoying. A list of 100 sentences that I've started with the word "and"?
But when it came down to it, I felt like lately I've been stuck in a bit of a negativity rut, which is not characteristic of me. I haven't felt great on my runs lately, I've been sick, I've been surrounded by a lot of negative thinking in the work world that I have been accidentally absorbing. Then there's the whole political thing that just seemed to sap a lot of positivity from me as I envision what policy makers might decide to do to my job next. All in all, I haven't had the most positive outlook lately.
So, in honor of my 100th post, which happens to fall in the thankful month of November, with the intention of turning this frown upside-down, I present to you a list.
100 Things I Am Thankful For
First, let's start with the obvious things, lest I forget them as I delve into the less obvious, more nuanced thankfulnesses (my spell check does not like that word, thankfully I can ignore that little red line):
1) The floppy, sleepy, warm ball of fur, otherwise known as Lucy.
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| Because she represents all that is good in life. |
3) My friends. All of them, from friends I've known for a lifetime to friends I only met a few months ago and friends that I haven't talked to in 6 months that I can still call up one night and talk to as if we haven't missed a beat. My friends are the skin that holds all my pieces together.
4) My job. I love what I do. I love the feeling that it gives me. I love the school I work at, the children I teach, the colleagues I work with, the challenges that I face every day. And even though it may get frustrating sometimes, I love that my job is filled with more smiles and waist-high hugs than I keep track of each day.
5) Running. Do I need to elaborate on this? Without running, who knows how all this pent-up boundless energy would be spent. It could be scary.
6) Health. Of all kinds. Physical health, mental health, bodily health, spiritual health, other healths (sorry again spell check) that I may possess that I do not even know about. Without all these things, I would not be able to have any of the above, previously mentioned thankfulnesses.
And now let's move on to a few of the more material items for which I am thankful:
7) My iPhone. The material of materials to be thankful for. How did I know how to live before my iPhone taught me how?
8) My apartment. Both the physical space and the location. I enjoy it all and appreciate that it keeps me sheltered and comfortable on cold, rainy nights after I've dried out from my run.
9) My couch. The most comfortable, reading, writing, cuddling, and time-wasting spot I know of.
10) My bed. It's where I sleep. It's wonderful.
11) My running shoes. Without them, I would get nowhere.
12) My GPS watch. It provides me with fun numbers to look at. And get mad at. And feel proud of. And I really like numbers.
13) Calphalon cooking pots and pans. I love how heavy they are and how evenly they cook my food.
14) My new blender. Without which I would not have had 5 days worth of butternut squash soup in my fridge.
15) My french press. It makes such tasty coffee so quickly.
16) Wine. The great writer's best tool. And it tastes good.
17) Books. Glorious books. Audio books, Kindle books, paper books. Wonderful books.
18) Throw away mini flossers. No, they are not environmentally friendly. Yes, buying a roll of floss would produce way less waste. But man, they make it so easy to floss.
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| Pretty, illogically organized books. |
19) Candles that don't smell overly strong. If I could light 15 candles every night, I would. As long as they only smell faintly sweet of cinnamon apples or pumpkin spice and DON'T make my apartment smell like a headache-inducing perfume section of Macy's.
20) Dresses. Summer dresses. Fall dresses. Dresses worn in the wintertime with button-up sweaters, leggings and boots.
21) Leggings and boots. See above.
22) Flats. Cute ballet flats. Boots that are flat. Converse.
23) Hats. That keep the rain out of my eyes.
24) Hoods. That keep the rain out of my hair.
25) My Toyota Matrix. That gets me from point A to point B when I can't run or bike or swim there.
26) Pandora. Is that a material thing? It's more of an airwave (really spell check? Airwave isn't a word??), but it emanates from a material thing. In which case...
27) The internet. It overwhelmingly easily connects me to everything and everyone at the touch of a typing finger.
And a few material things that get their own category: FOOD. I could write a top 100 list of food alone, so I'm limiting myself to 10 items here.
28) Soy sauce.
29) Peanut Butter. (are you surprised these are my top 2?)
30) Cheese. As much as my tummy hates it the next day, what I would give for a great taste of cheese every day.
31) Bread. Pure comfort.
32) August tomatoes fresh from the farmers market.
33) Garlic. More. Give me more.
34) French Onion Dip. My deepest guilty pleasure that I allow myself about once a year.
35) Soup on a cold night.
36) Noodles. Of any kind. Spaghetti, angel hair, linguine, rice noodles, lo mein noodles, egg noodles. Slurp in your mouth, sit hearty in your belly noodles.
37) Broccoli. Best. Veggie. Ever.
And a few material things that get their own category: FOOD. I could write a top 100 list of food alone, so I'm limiting myself to 10 items here.
28) Soy sauce.
29) Peanut Butter. (are you surprised these are my top 2?)
30) Cheese. As much as my tummy hates it the next day, what I would give for a great taste of cheese every day.
31) Bread. Pure comfort.
32) August tomatoes fresh from the farmers market.
33) Garlic. More. Give me more.
34) French Onion Dip. My deepest guilty pleasure that I allow myself about once a year.
35) Soup on a cold night.
36) Noodles. Of any kind. Spaghetti, angel hair, linguine, rice noodles, lo mein noodles, egg noodles. Slurp in your mouth, sit hearty in your belly noodles.
37) Broccoli. Best. Veggie. Ever.
There's so much more food, but let's move on to moments. Because moments are the blocks that build a worthwhile, fulfilling life. And every moment counts.
38) Coming in a from a cold, rainy run and spending way too many moments in a scalding hot shower. Sometimes you just can't physically get yourself out.
39) Waking up at 2 am, thinking it's time to get up. And then realizing you still have hours more to sleep.
40) Long runs with friends. Because you have nothing else to do but talk, and nothing to distract you from listening besides the rhythm of your own breathing.
41) Long runs alone. Because sometimes all you want to hear is the rhythm of your own breathing.
42) Cuddly puppy moments. 'Nuff said.
43) Eerie early morning walks and smiles from early morning passersby. Because early morning risers know something about each other without even having to speak. We are ready to take on the day. And we will wake up early because we're so excited to get started.
44) Talking to an old friend after a few months and feeling like you just talked yesterday. Because it's great when it's just that easy.
45) Feeling the heat of sunshine touch your skin for the first time in weeks...or months. Because it's amazing that something can touch you that deeply from so far away.
46) Puppy dreams. Eye-blinking, nose-twitching, feet-kicking, close-mouthed-barking puppy dreams.
47) Seeing your parents for the first time in weeks, or months, or longer. Because that little kid is still there inside you somewhere.
48) Going to bed early. And knowing that tomorrow will be so much better because of it.
49) Rainy Sundays when you have nothing to do. And can't feel guilty about doing nothing but curling up with a good book or movie.
50) Hearing a song just when you need to. When the lyrics speak your thoughts and the rhythm reaches your soul.
51) When the light turns green just as you are hitting the brakes. And then you get to zoom right by the guy sitting in the next lane.
52) When the light stays red, and you are totally OK with it. Because sometimes, it's great not to be in a rush.
53) The sound of ginger hitting a hot pan of sesame oil and the burst of scent it releases. Because soon, peanut butter and soy sauce will also be joining in the sizzling fun.
54) The smile on a first grader's face when something clicks. They just learned. And you watched it happen.
55) The feeling of comfort. Comfort in being alone. Comfort in being with family and friends. Comfort in sharing time with someone you love. Comfort in being who you are, where you are, doing what you're doing.
56) Seeing an old picture. From a time you forgot about, a place you forgot about, a moment that had ceased to exist. And then there it is.
57) Sincere smiles. Real, whole bodied, sincere smiles.
58) Birthdays. And getting to hear from all the people you love on one day.
59) Taking the first step into freshly fallen, perfectly even snow. Because no one else did that yet. You took the first step.
60) Accomplishing something you've worked hard for. Crossing a finish line, taking a diploma, ignoring the call of the snooze button for several months in a row.
61) Seeing the face of someone else accomplishing something they've work hard for. Smiles, tears, hugs, and joy.
62) Walking in bare feet across a recently vacuumed carpet. So fluffy.
63) Turning on the car and seeing you have a full tank of gas. I smile every time.
64) Writing with a sharp pencil. So perfect.
65) Seeing the first flowers of spring or the first colors of fall. Knowing that a new season is on its way.
66) Forming the perfect sentence. That expresses exactly what you wanted to say in the exact way you wanted to say it at the exact right time.
67) Having a good cry. Until your eyes are puffy and red and your chest is sore from the sobbing. I don't have enough of these under my belt.
68) Going "home" for the first time after realizing that it's not really your home anymore. But still feeling like it is.
69) Crawling into bed with freshly washed sheets. Especially if they're still warm from the dryer.
70) Losing yourself in the pages of a book. And realizing that for a moment, you forgot everything except the world in those pages.
And now on to a random compilation of things:
71) A clean, empty sink devoid of dirty dishes.
72) Words. Of all kinds, in all places, in every sense. Perfect words.
73) Laughter. Belly-aching, can't-hold-it-in-if-you-tried laughter.
74) Brushing your teeth after you've just woken up.
75) A perfectly blue sky. Not a single cloud.
76) Pushing up the hill when you just don't think you can run any further. And then turning around and getting to run back down it.
77) Standing in the rain on purpose. No umbrella. No hood. Letting it soak you and drip from your fingertips.
78) Jumping in puddles. Lucy taught me the joy of plowing through the deepest ones.
79) Cold, wet animal noses.
80) Smelling a familiar smell. Letting it drag you unexpectedly back in time.
81) Round numbers. Because they're almost like perfection.
82) Candid pictures. What made us all decide to turn and smile every single time the camera comes out?
83) Curiosity. It doesn't always kill the cat.
84) Bananas. Sneaking this one in because it missed the top 10 food list. Bananas are a mental running crutch for me. And they're so good when perfectly ripe.
85) Wiggling your toes into the wet sand. Letting it slowly cover your feet, sinking in to your ankles.
86) Riding your bike down a big hill. Fast and without fear.
87) Surprises. Whether you wanted them or not.
88) Doing something that scares you. Pushing the limits just a little too far.
89) Push button lights. I find them more satisfying than switches.
90) Finding exactly what you're looking for. Whatever it is.
Finally, rounding it all out, a list of all the feelings I'm thankful for. Because feelings are what make us human. They are what make all the 90 things I listed above meaningful.
91) Gratitude.
92) Compassion.
93) Anger. That leads to positive action.
94) Sadness.
95) Fulfillment.
96) Loneliness.
97) Determination.
98) Optimism
99) Joy.
and of course,
100) Love.
Because, in the words of one of my favorite holiday movies, "Love actually is all around." All you have to do is look.
Well, there it is. The incomplete, not at all comprehensive or all-inclusive list of things I'm thankful for on this momentous day of my 100th blog post. Thanks for sticking with me through it all. I hope you stick around for the next 100. I can't promise you anything more than the truth. But hopefully that's enough.
49) Rainy Sundays when you have nothing to do. And can't feel guilty about doing nothing but curling up with a good book or movie.
50) Hearing a song just when you need to. When the lyrics speak your thoughts and the rhythm reaches your soul.
51) When the light turns green just as you are hitting the brakes. And then you get to zoom right by the guy sitting in the next lane.
52) When the light stays red, and you are totally OK with it. Because sometimes, it's great not to be in a rush.
53) The sound of ginger hitting a hot pan of sesame oil and the burst of scent it releases. Because soon, peanut butter and soy sauce will also be joining in the sizzling fun.
54) The smile on a first grader's face when something clicks. They just learned. And you watched it happen.
55) The feeling of comfort. Comfort in being alone. Comfort in being with family and friends. Comfort in sharing time with someone you love. Comfort in being who you are, where you are, doing what you're doing.
56) Seeing an old picture. From a time you forgot about, a place you forgot about, a moment that had ceased to exist. And then there it is.
57) Sincere smiles. Real, whole bodied, sincere smiles.
58) Birthdays. And getting to hear from all the people you love on one day.
59) Taking the first step into freshly fallen, perfectly even snow. Because no one else did that yet. You took the first step.
60) Accomplishing something you've worked hard for. Crossing a finish line, taking a diploma, ignoring the call of the snooze button for several months in a row.
61) Seeing the face of someone else accomplishing something they've work hard for. Smiles, tears, hugs, and joy.
62) Walking in bare feet across a recently vacuumed carpet. So fluffy.
63) Turning on the car and seeing you have a full tank of gas. I smile every time.
64) Writing with a sharp pencil. So perfect.
65) Seeing the first flowers of spring or the first colors of fall. Knowing that a new season is on its way.
66) Forming the perfect sentence. That expresses exactly what you wanted to say in the exact way you wanted to say it at the exact right time.
67) Having a good cry. Until your eyes are puffy and red and your chest is sore from the sobbing. I don't have enough of these under my belt.
68) Going "home" for the first time after realizing that it's not really your home anymore. But still feeling like it is.
69) Crawling into bed with freshly washed sheets. Especially if they're still warm from the dryer.
70) Losing yourself in the pages of a book. And realizing that for a moment, you forgot everything except the world in those pages.
And now on to a random compilation of things:
71) A clean, empty sink devoid of dirty dishes.
72) Words. Of all kinds, in all places, in every sense. Perfect words.
73) Laughter. Belly-aching, can't-hold-it-in-if-you-tried laughter.
74) Brushing your teeth after you've just woken up.
75) A perfectly blue sky. Not a single cloud.
76) Pushing up the hill when you just don't think you can run any further. And then turning around and getting to run back down it.
77) Standing in the rain on purpose. No umbrella. No hood. Letting it soak you and drip from your fingertips.
78) Jumping in puddles. Lucy taught me the joy of plowing through the deepest ones.
79) Cold, wet animal noses.
80) Smelling a familiar smell. Letting it drag you unexpectedly back in time.
81) Round numbers. Because they're almost like perfection.
82) Candid pictures. What made us all decide to turn and smile every single time the camera comes out?
83) Curiosity. It doesn't always kill the cat.
84) Bananas. Sneaking this one in because it missed the top 10 food list. Bananas are a mental running crutch for me. And they're so good when perfectly ripe.
85) Wiggling your toes into the wet sand. Letting it slowly cover your feet, sinking in to your ankles.
86) Riding your bike down a big hill. Fast and without fear.
87) Surprises. Whether you wanted them or not.
88) Doing something that scares you. Pushing the limits just a little too far.
89) Push button lights. I find them more satisfying than switches.
90) Finding exactly what you're looking for. Whatever it is.
Finally, rounding it all out, a list of all the feelings I'm thankful for. Because feelings are what make us human. They are what make all the 90 things I listed above meaningful.
91) Gratitude.
92) Compassion.
93) Anger. That leads to positive action.
94) Sadness.
95) Fulfillment.
96) Loneliness.
97) Determination.
98) Optimism
99) Joy.
and of course,
100) Love.
Because, in the words of one of my favorite holiday movies, "Love actually is all around." All you have to do is look.
Well, there it is. The incomplete, not at all comprehensive or all-inclusive list of things I'm thankful for on this momentous day of my 100th blog post. Thanks for sticking with me through it all. I hope you stick around for the next 100. I can't promise you anything more than the truth. But hopefully that's enough.
Let's get interactive: What are you most thankful for? What glaring things did I forget?
Share with me. I selfishly need your good positive vibes right now.
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