i am thankful
for many things
there are life's
general pleasures
like fresh air
and red roses
and a wonderful glass
of chianti
without
the fava beans please.

there's technology
i take for granted
the car that gets me
where i need to go
the 5000 songs
i carry in my purse
and can listen to
whenever i want
the camera
that doesn't need film anymore
the phone
with me all the time
just in case
and it makes me feel safe
wherever i am

i am thankful for the comfort
of my happy home
and the soft sheets
that cover me at night
my sanctuary
from the winter's frost
my shelter
from a blistering sun
and
the plenty in my kitchen
where hunger doesn't exist
and every day is a feast
of freshness
and healthy choices

i am thankful
for second chances
the one i have now
and the one granted me
last year
when my heart
was under siege
and i could have died
but i didn't
and now i know
i must not take one day
for granted anymore

i am grateful
for my heritage
for the people who
surrounded me
usually with love
always with pride
filling my head
with stories about the old country
the struggles
and the beauty
where we came from
and how far we've come
holding one's head high
always

i am blessed with memories
of a childhood
that wasn't perfect
but it is mine
and i can remember
the goodness
and downplay the tears
because they
are my memories
to recall as i want to
not as i am told
so i choose to savor
the laughter of a little girl
and her hapless siblings
playing in the leaves
without a care in the world
yes, that's what i think about
when i forget
that i have lots
to be thankful for
every single day

there is bounty
in my past
and fortune
in my life now
not just possessions
but opportunities
ripe with rewards
for me to reap
by getting healthy
living well
and giving everything i can
to myself and the people
i love

to enjoy every day
and remember that
living in the moment
doesn't mean forsaking
the history
of who i am
but to cherish
every piece of my life
every day that i live
for i am truly blessed
then and now
and always


blessings great and small matter.

today's photo: my mother and grandmother, circa 1925