Thankful

 “It is not happy people who are thankful. It is THANKFUL people who are happy.”  – Anonymus

I am thankful for so much in my life.  Thanksgiving is great, but it is only one day!  What about being thankful even when it’s rough. This is where I go simple. I’m thankful for the trees.

Japanese Maple in the fall

I am so thankful for the beauty of the trees in the fall. Trees are so important to our planet! Thank you, trees! May you get enough water.

I am thankful for the animals: the wild ones and the tame ones (our pets).

Ducks on a bank

Sofie, a happy pet

I am very thankful for family, whether, I can be with them for Thanksgiving or not! They matter to me and my life. They enrich my life; we have a common history and care about each other. Even though I live in a different state, when I call them I have an instant connection and bond. I love them! Here are a few of my family members.

Family photo a few years back

I am deeply thankful for the friends in my life. They have always been there. I like Facebook, but I DON’T mean Facebook friends. These are the friends I call or visit because I care, and I need to maintain a connection, and they do, too. Even though they may live on one coast and I live on another.

Ann and David, Ann is one of my oldest friends.

I am also so grateful for my new friends in a new place. I and we are learning in ways I could not even imagine. These present days, I am thankful for the learning about myself with many of my new friends. It is great to have friends on the journey with you.

I also have a spiritual center. I have called this my source in this blog.  This, too, is very important and a source of gratitude for me. As I look back on my life, my source has always been there and has pulled me and those around me through some nearly unbelievable and challenging times.

I have an older car (now 10 years old). I named her Spunky. I am thankful for Spunky. She made it almost exactly 3,000 miles across the USA, and she had about 124,ooo miles on her at that time. Spunky is still being spunky and holding on; she even made it through a car wreck with barely a scratch!  She has absolutely no bells and whistles: Lock your own doors; roll down your own window. Spunky is simple. Simple is good, too.

Back to my theme- Simple and Thankful! Enjoy your day of thanks.

“Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are. It solely relies on what you think.”  – Buddha