My Non-Traditional, Favorite, Thankful List

On this eve of Thanksgiving, I was contemplating on all that I am thankful for such as my beautiful children, my loving husband, God's love, our jobs, friends... you know the traditional stuff. But I'm not a traditionalist so I wanted to dig a little deeper and come up with a different list. You know on the last page of magazines sometimes they have a special guest who lists their favorite things. Well, in this thankful time, I have put together my "Non-Traditional, Favorite, Thankful List" and I would like to share it with you.

Here it is:
1. Our Bedroom Ceiling Fan - Okay, sounds cheesy? You were not expecting that on my list were you? Well it is on my list because frankly I have never had a ceiling fan directly over my bed and I so much appreciate it. Now, this is no ordinary fan. I went from store to store and found nothing I liked until I discovered this modern, stainless steel, heavy-duty, clean-lines fan that functions to keep us cool on those warm nights. It wasn't as cheap as we were hoping, but it was so worth it.

2. My Cell Phone - Now I know what you are thinking: I'm thankful for this cell phone because it is an instant contact to my friends and family. Well, I am appreciative that I can make phone calls with it, for obviously that is it's function, but I'm really thankful for the alarm feature. I have set my cell phone to wake me up at a certain time Monday thru Friday and a different time on weekends. I never have to touch it or turn it on, it just knows the day and the time and I never have to worry about waking up in the morning. I love that.

3. My oldest son's laugh - No, I'm not getting sappy or trite on you. I say this about my son's laugh because it changes a room dynamic and it's a cool laugh. As a child he had asthma and so now he sounds like he has a smokers laugh. Yes, there was discomfort to the making of this sound, but it has turned out to be a laugh that has an effect on others. My son is full of emotions. He wears them on his sleeve. He cries easy and he also laughs just as easy. He also has such an advance sense of humor that my nine year old son even has to explain the humor in life to me. It's a distinctive characteristic of him and I sure appreciate this unique quality.

4. My Younger Son's Dimples - Really I am not trying to be sappy at all! I love my son's dimples, not because I wish I had them, because I don't, but because his dimples come directly from my side of the family. My grandma had one dimple and it was a deep one, and my brother has a pair as well. These dimples are not the slashes in the cheeks type, but the deep set ones that you can put a pencil tip in. Plus it reveals his inner happiness (now that is sickly, sappy for sure).

5. My Dad's Retirement Ring - Last year my sister and I were helping my mother decide what to keep and what to put in storage for another one of her apartment moves. We were opening drawers and closet doors investigating the stash. My father, who died a at a young age nine years ago, had an old dresser which my mother packed with tattered sheets and flowered place mats. We thought that's what it was all filled with until we pulled the top drawer. My father spent a lot of daily time at his dresser. In the mornings he would stand there and put his watch on, organize his money clip, slip a pocket knife with his keys, and spray on his "stink pretties" before he left the house. At night he would have the reverse ritual, storing his items in safe keeping in the top drawer. I'm not sure who opened the top drawer that day, but my sister and I just stood there staring at it in unbelief. Most of his belongings had already been farmed out to family members and some sold, but this top drawer remained untouched of items he had touched every day. There, in one of the boxes was his retirement ring which he had received at his farewell party his company gave him. The ring is made of gold molded with the company's logo including three inset diamonds representing each decade of employment. The ring represents years of commitment and a symbol of hard work as he supported a family of six kids. Although I keep it hidden away in my jewelry box, it is tucked in place I touch everyday. I love having it because it is a reminder of him.

6. My Husband's Humor - My husband has an amazing sense of humor and there is also a lot of laughing going on in our house. A simple conversation can turn into a platform for my husband (and oldest son) to display life's absurdity inducing us all into stitches. I am so thankful for laughter in our home. (I am also thankful for his unyielding love for me, his quick acceptance of others, his consistent behavior in public and in private, and his unjudgemental manner - but I don't want to take up too much of your time by listing it all.)

7. The Morning - I'm not necessarily a morning person, but I appreciate the morning because I wake up and feel God's presence. Not sure why in the morning this happens because really I think I am more of a night person actually, but it is then as I wake when I often am just overwhelmed with thankfulness for His love, His creations, and His sacrifice. I love my mornings since that is when I dwell on Him - a reminder of my purpose as I set off on my day.

Now, this is not an exhausted list because I didn't mention chocolate, or coffee, or any of my favorite movies, but a simple list I came up with on my morning walk. What is on your Favorite, Thankful List? Maybe something in your daily life that you realize you can't go a day without or something completely untraditional. A list, an item, a characteristic, or an aspect, please share with us and join in on the talk.