We do this every year: the obligatory Thanksgiving Day gratitude post. It's a thing, like taking out the winter clothing in October or rotating your car tires. A habit, expected of most bloggers.

Only, it's not a burden. Not a chore. It's something I look forward to because for this day, this post, I can consolidate and coalesce all my positive energy and toss it out to the world.

Today and every day I am thankful for:

My awesome, amazing, wonderful family (blood & chosen): parents, sis, stepbro, BIL, sort-of-SIL, niece, uncles, aunts, cousins, sisters and cousins -of-the-heart. You know who you are. You all are my sanity and my strength.
My friends & fans: Without you, my life would be totally different and far less shiny. I love it when you send me emails (and some of you guys have even sent paper letters!). Knowing that you are out there and enjoying what I produce makes my heart sing.
The Intarwebs/modern technology: I've been playing online since the early days of dial up BBSs and making connections with people ever since. I'm humbled and awed to know folks on all but 1 continent, some of you, I've even met in meatspace. I'm of the opinion that if more people spend time with folks from other cultures, other countries, we'd have a whole lot less strife in the world.
Modern medicine & doctors: A special shout out to my eye doc, the brilliant Dr. Nicole Teser of the Eye Center in Alexandria. If it weren't for her, I'd not have discovered I have a (very treatable) autoimmune disease. I am so grateful that medicine exists and that it works.
My awesome workplace: I've been there 11 years now – longer than anywhere else. It's another kind of family; a tight-knit group of really great co-workers and a boss who supports my writing. I'm truly blessed.
Being in my 50s: It's funny, I always wanted to be older, to be seen as wise, mature, whatever? I don't know, exactly. But now that I'm in my fifties, I realize that this is where I wanted to be. Old enough to be more zen about life, and young enough to enjoy it. Sure, physically I can't do as much, but I feel more settled, more me, if that makes sense. I can still be a little funky & fun, still embrace new things, but no longer feel the pressure to prove anything. This is truly a golden time.

My list could go on and on, as there are so very many things in my life I could enumerate. Let's just say that I'm glad I am here. I'm glad you are all here and that however brief or fleeting, that getting to make contact with you all out there warms the cockles of my heart.

Happy Turkey Day to all my US peeps!! May the food be fabulous, the company sublime.