TToT is in celebration mode! 100 link-ups and going strong! I’ve been reading the Thankful Things posts longer than I’ve been participating, this is only my third time joining in and since we’re celebrating, I added 100 random things I’m thankful for to my ten things.
Lizzi’s lists have always made me smile, they’ve reminded me to be thankful for things I may have forgotten to be thankful for. Thank you for that my friend, it’s done my heart good.
Sometimes at the end of a long week it’s easy to forget the moments that touched our hearts in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, taking the time to sit down and think about them has left me with a grateful heart. Stopping to read what others have taken the time to share has also been a lovely reminder of the things in my life I’m thankful for.
Often it’s the big stuff I think about – family and love and all the good and wonderful things I’ve been blessed with, and sometimes it’s the smaller things, like the gentleman that held the door for me at the gas station or the blue jays that sometimes stop to visit me in the yard. This week my list is filled with the big things as well as a bunch of the little things.
Thank you all for reminding me to be thankful.
1. Faith – God is the cornerstone of my life. He is the floor beneath me, the roof above me, and the walls that surround me. He is my shelter from the storm. Faith keeps me going when I am sure I can go no further. It is the promise and the hope I cling to when I feel I am falling. It is my light in the dark places, it is my anchor when I am adrift, and the wind in my sails when I haven’t strength enough to row. Faith is the hand that steadies me when I falter, it is my compass when I am lost. It is the voice that tells me I can when I think I cannot. Faith is the foundation on which I stand when my solid ground turns to quickly shifting sands beneath me.
2. Family – The ones who’ve surrounded me with love since the day I was born. The ones that have cradled me in love and acceptance and unconditional love throughout my life. The ones who still do and the ones who continue to fill a place in my heart even though they’ve parted from this life. I see their smiles when I close my eyes, I hear their voices in silent moments, and I feel the love they’ve given me, always. My Grandparents, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews will always be a part of me.
3. My Mother – My teacher, my protector, my inspiration, my mentor, my friend. She carried me within her and then held me in her arms, she took me by the hand and by the heart and led me into life. Sometimes I followed her, sometimes she let me lead. She sacrificed and she gave, she sheltered and she pushed. She gave me wings and she taught me to fly. She has been my hero, my guardian, and my guide. She’s picked me up when I’ve fallen and she’s found me when I’ve been lost. She is everything I could ever hope to be.
4. My Father, My dad – My father planted the seed of life, my life. The twists and turns life’s journey sometimes takes placed us on different roads and he loved me enough to travel another until the day came when our paths would meet again and we would walk together as he’d one day dreamed we would. Now we know the way to where the other resides. My dad was not the man who planted the seed, but he lovingly tended to the garden in which I grew. He tilled and toiled in the soil as he watched me bloom and blossom. He nourished the ground beneath me, he made certain my roots were planted firmly. Those twists and turns led him away one day, but the care he took when he had it to give left me strong enough to continue to grow in his absence.
5. My Husband – My first love, my forever love. I wasn’t going to fall in love. Ever. I decided it when I was just a little girl, and then, when I was still a little girl in many ways – I fell in love with him. They said at 16 love is something you don’t fall into, but I did. He changed me and he changes me still. Something in his eyes told me love doesn’t always hurt, it doesn’t always end in pain and it wasn’t something I should deny myself. Even when I thought ours wasn’t going to be a story with a happy ending, I was still glad to have been a part of it, and as the pages continued to turn, the story kept unfolding and it has yet to end.
6. My Children – They are the reason every breath I take has meaning. They are my sun and my moon and every beat of my heart. They each came into my life, little pieces of love and completed something in me, they filled voids I didn’t know were hollow. I thought I knew the true meaning of love and then they looked into my eyes and I realized love was so much more than I’d ever known it to be. My life began the day theirs did, a new beginning with each tiny heart that began to beat. Never has there been a more beautiful sound. I used to hold their little hands in mine, and now they hold my hand in theirs and each of them carry a piece of my heart wherever they go.
7. Friends – I’ve been blessed by friendship. Somehow, through some miracle of love, I’ve chose and been chosen back by the best of the best and I’ve not words enough to describe the joys they have given me. I don’t surround myself with them, yet they surround me always. I’ve known some for nearly a lifetime, some for what seems like the blink of an eye, and yet, in my heart – they all reside. I’m so very different from most of them and they are each different from the others, but we have a connection that bridges those differences and leads us to a beautiful place. I don’t know if I am a good friend, I hope I am. I sometimes go for long spells without reaching out, I don’t chat on the phone for hours or hang out, but I’m there if they need me and I know they are there when I need them. Some of us have held hands, we’ve shared hugs and tears and laughter. Some of us appear to each other as letter after letter beneath the blinking cursor on a screen or visit each other through inboxes and emails, but I can feel the hugs we sometimes share just the same.
8. Words – I reside in a world of words, the characters that come together to form them, creating sentences and paragraphs; chapters and verses. Words are my safe place, my way of reaching out to the world beyond me and the one within me. Words come into my soul, they release or they capture what resides there. Words written on a page transform me, they become a part of me, they bring me solace and comfort and healing. When I read them I’m transported to the magical place where they were born and when I write them, they become my own magical place. Without words I would wither on the proverbial vine, without voice, without escape. I find sanctuary within them, they offer me respite when I am weary and they provide company when I am alone. Words have been my constant and faithful companions in life, words have never failed me.
9. Books – My first friends in life. Stories real and imagined. Histories, heroines, and heroes. Underdogs, villains, and victors. I’ve been to far off places, made up lands, and real life destinations though I’ve never travelled far. I’ve had adventures, I’ve been on quests and crusades, I’ve loved and I’ve lost and I’ve taken fantastical journeys and come home again. I’ve battled monsters and I’ve been where angels have tread. I have read my way into the future and travelled into the past. I’ve soared above the clouds and I’ve explored the depths of the earth. I’ve seen more than I ever knew there was to see. I became a part of every story I’ve ever read and there are still worlds and words out there, waiting for me.
10. Technology – It seems an odd way to end my list of thankful things, but without it, I wouldn’t have some of the friends I have today. I wouldn’t know some of the things I know. I couldn’t have done some of the things I have done, so it is certainly among the things I am so very thankful for. The world I grew up in was quite different from the one we now live in. In some ways I miss the days before computers connected us, and in other ways, I cannot imagine life without them. Vast amounts of knowledge are just a few keystrokes from me at any time, friends and family can be reached with the touch of a button. Books and music are just a mouse-click away. But still, the excitement of receiving a letter in the mail or the anticipation of who’s on the other end of the line when the phone rings are things I sometimes miss. I often tell myself I’ll take the time to sit and write to someone the old-fashioned way, but I don’t do it often enough. I love the sound of a pen gliding across a piece of paper and the smell of ink before it dries. I still prefer the feeling of paper pages and revel in the sound they make when I turn from one to the next as I read. I do love this little world I have found behind the computer screen though . . .
100 Random Things I’m Thankful For
- coffee
- things that smell like coconut
- the sound of my dog’s nails clicking down the hallway
- the sound the wind makes
- raindrops
- rainbows
- fresh sheets
- hearing from an old friend
- naps
- smiles from strangers
- nights that turn into mornings
- days that turn into nights
- paydays
- crisp apples
- ripe avocados
- remembering something
- finding something I thought was lost
- dictionary.com
- the thesaurus
- moments of silence
- getting a great idea
- learning something new
- sweet tea
- earplugs
- bottled water
- new books
- old books
- blogs
- friends
- memories
- silver change
- cake
- insulin
- fluffy clouds
- candles
- DVRs
- Nutella
- good hair days
- starting something new
- finishing something
- comfortable shoes
- shirts without tags
- empty journals
- filled journals
- gel pens
- unbroken fingernails
- ceiling fans
- digital cameras
- ladybugs
- butterflies
- sale prices
- art
- epiphanies
- moments of serendipity
- music
- snuggly blankets
- blooming flowers
- Wifi
- funny jokes
- cell phones
- body pillows
- cotton t-shirts
- stretchy jeans
- waterfalls
- blessings in disguise
- old photo albums
- comfortable chairs
- memory foam mattresses
- freedom
- people who write books
- self adhesive stamps
- bookmarks
- squishy stress balls
- bookstores
- piggy banks
- comfy bras
- gift bags
- dreams that come true
- window shades
- crackling campfires
- reusable grocery bags
- nice people
- banana walnut muffins
- home
- floss toothpicks
- sharp scissors
- comfortable pajamas
- junk drawers
- flash drives
- empty roads
- sticky notes
- bookshelves
- cream cheese frosting
- closet space
- good lighting
- Olive Garden breadsticks
- reading glasses
- thousands of other things
I’m thankful for your gift of words. I can sink into your writing like settling into a soft chair, curling up with chocolate and a great book.
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So sweet, you win comment of the year 🙂
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Aww, thanks! I meant every word.
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You have a wonderful list and putting technology on the list is not surprising at all, given how much we depend on it, and how much good it can do us!
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An absolutely wonderful post. The ten basics in life as well as the 100 little things we appreciate every day. Like water bottles.
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Love it. ❤
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I love both your lists! I agree with almost every item. Many of the items made me smile–and think a little about how lucky we are to have these things!
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I love thankful themes! They make me stop and ponder about what I am grateful for! “Celebrating TToT with 100 Thankful Things” gave me lots to think about!
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WHAT A LIST!!!! Well done! Your descriptions of your ten were lovely, and I could find many I agree with in your list of 100. Sometimes it’s the tiny things like clean sheets that I like to list. They can be so meaningful.
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I loved this so much your lists, connection with this linkup, and that you found me in WordPress land and are following my journey. You have inspired me to join in on this thankful train and start appreciating who I love, and what I have in my life right now. I’m so thankful I found you Qwiet Muse. ❤️
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Thank you 🙂 I’m happy we’ve connected too!
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You’re most welcome, it was serendipitous. 💗
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Both of your lists are pretty amazing. Thanks for reminding me of the little things!
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I love your 100 list. So many little things that feel good.
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WOW WOW WOW I love your 100, Crystal. And your 10. And I think you’re a good friend – never have thought anything different. And I’d like to think that our friendship is one of those strange, cursor-based serendipitous things of utter delight and loveliness.
I have a word for you (new thing you can learn) – it’s Greek – ποίημα (poiema) – means ‘poem’.
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Most certainly one of those amazing serendipitous things 🙂 I am adding ποίημα (poiema) to my list of favorite words!
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I’m gonna get it inked 🙂
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Beautiful idea – beautiful. Hmm – I need new ink too . . .:)
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Ooooooooh any thoughts?
The other one I’m gonna get is this, which means ‘be happy’ (or some variation on grace (charis)) Χαίρετε!
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You came up with some great thankfuls in that list of 100! Things we don’t even think about because they are so normal and common. Like the stamps. Clean sheets, gift bags, dictionary.com…all great. Sharp scissors are nice, but even better when they are where they are supposed to be when you need the. 🙂
Thanks for joining the celebration!
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This is great! =D
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Do you know that I was going to write ONE HUNDRED THINGS OF THANKFUL TOO!!! Isn’t that funny? I love how you so beautifully claimed your thankfuls, rich with your words describing such glorious gifts. Those are such treasures- faith, family, books, words, and yes technology! (etc.) And I love your random 100 list too!!
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Thank you 🙂 Coming up with 100 was harder than I imagined!
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What a great collection! Coffee, fresh sheets, naps – yes to all of that (and usually collected together is nice)! Comfy bras…yeah, those are hard to come by so when you get a good one, buy ten of them, stash them away, and praise the heavens! And never underestimate the importance of really sharp scissors.
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Great list, both the first ten and the additional 100 thankfuls. What a great idea! I think my favorites are 40, 43, 44, and 78.
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I love the additional list at the end… so many good things on the entire list! WORDS… awesome reason for gratitude.
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not that its important but I hit enter before I finished praising squishy stress balls … also a personal fav. I have a chicken squeezy ball on my desk… silly but….
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Comfy bras and good lighting. And those are just a few things on the list. What a great TToT!!
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What a wonderful list–both the 10 and the 100! Many of your items made me smile, like “self adhesive stamps.” How nice that we don’t have to taste that icky taste anymore!
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