One of those Thanksgiving posts

I love all of the Thanksgiving posts I have been reading lately...it's so fun to hear all of the good in people's lives.  I'm a sucker for trying to make the best out of life, and reading about happy things makes me happy.

I found this quote, and I thought it seemed quite appropriate for this time of year:

"This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth. Our opportunities are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help.

"We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."

-Thomas Monson

I love that last part.  Gratitude is one of the noblest of virtues--up there with loyalty, fidelity, love, honor, integrity and more.  Kinda gives you a new perspective on how to view your life.  I think everyone could find thousand of things in themselves and in their lives that are bad...it's a pretty easy thing to do.  But I think it takes some work to recognize the things in yourself and your life that are good things to be thankful for.  Especially things in yourself.  I have a hard time doing that... It's really easy for me to find things about myself that I don't like, but things that are good?  Hmm...tougher.

Think I'll try:

*I'm grateful that I take a camera around everywhere.  Sometimes I feel kinda stupid doing it, because I don't really know how to take pictures, and the camera is huge.  But I always end up liking that I do it.

 *I'm grateful for my neck.  Yeah, my neck.  It's a long neck, and I think that it makes me look nice.  Also, it holds up my head, and I'm a big fan of that.  Also, usually it doesn't ache too much, and it feels really nice to get a neck massage. 

*I'm grateful that I am such a fantastic chooser of husbands.  Like seriously, I am amazing at this.  My first try, and I picked the greatest person on earth.  That takes talent, I'll tell you what.

*I'm grateful for my amygdala and hippocampus.  For many reasons, but maybe especially for the opportunity they give me to form new memories.  Memories are awesome!  Well, except for bad memories...anyway. Today I learned about types of amnesia. Anterograde amnesia is the inability to form any new memories after a physically or emotionally traumatic event.  Can you imagine?  Not being able to remember anything from a certain point on...sounds so sad.

 Not being able to remember camping in a magical redwood forest?

Or eating delicious, warm pizza at a park near the Pacific ocean?

Or scuba diving in the La Jolla cove with fish, pelicans and sea lions?

Or spending a wonderful day at the zoo with your sister and spouse?

It would just be terrible.

*I'm grateful for my brain.  I think I'm kinda intelligent, and I'm proud of it.  Probably more than I should be, but that's what it is.



*I'm grateful for my ability to love my family.  Learning about sociopaths scares me...to have no feelings of loving or care for someone seems like it would be terrible.  I love these people so much it hurts me sometimes.  I don't think I could love or respect them any more if I tried.

Well, happy thanksgiving all.  Hope its one of good food, good peeps, and good naps.  Mine will be.  :)