I originally got this in an email sent by a dear friend from Saddleback Church.  I see it making its way to people’s blogs.  It’s definitely worth repeating.  I’ve added a few of my thankful thoughts at the end.

I am thankful:

  • For the wife who says it’s hot dogs tonight,
    because she is home with me, and not out with someone else.
  • For the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato,
    because he is home with me and not out at the bars.
  • For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes,
    because it means she is at home, not on the streets.
  • For the taxes I pay,
    because it means I am employed.
  • For the mess to clean after a party,
    because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
  • For the clothes that fit a little too snug,
    because it means I have enough to eat.
  • For my shadow that watches me work,
    because it means I am out in the sunshine.
  • For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing,
    because it means I have a home.
  • For all the complaining I hear about the government,
    because it means we have freedom of speech.
  • For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot,
    because it means I am capable of walking and I have been blessed with transportation.
  • For my huge heating bill,
    because it means I am warm.
  • For the lady behind me in church who sings off key,
    because it means I can hear.
  • For the pile of laundry and ironing,
    because it means I have clothes to wear.
  • For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day,
    because it means I have been capable of working hard.
  • For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours,
    because it means I am alive.
  • For the crazy people I work with,
    because they make work interesting and fun!
  • For too much e-mail,
    because it means I have friends who are thinking of me.

and…

  • For staying up late working from home,
    because of the modern technology that makes it possible.
  • For a boss who asks me to go to the office even though I’m tired in the morning,
    because it means I have a job and I’m still needed by the team.
  • For the lack of fringe benefits by the company,
    because they are trying to cut cost, so they can still retain me and my co-workers.

What are you thankful for?

Photo Credit: EmptyBelly

Tags: , , , ,

12 Responses to “Being Thankful”

  1. hi Rudy,
    What a totally awesome list! It is the perfect example of making lemon-aid out of lemons, and finding the silver lining in a “problem”. It’s amazing what a positive attitude can do. I would try to pick my favorite, but they are all right on. I’m not sure about this one though:
    “For too much e-mail… because it means I have friends who are thinking of me.”
    If I had a better program for sorting out my friends from the spammers, I could be more thankful for my friends’ email. 🙂
    Me, I’m thankful for all of the above, especially my family and kids.
    ~ Steve (aka the trade show guru)

    Trade Show Guru´s last blog post..Run, Fatboy, Run

  2. rudyamid says:

    Hey Steve,

    Feel free to copy it and add your own Thankful Thoughts!

  3. Periapex says:

    I like.

    Isn’t living a positive life all about perspective?

  4. Lin Burress says:

    Rudy, I love this list.

    Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all took a few minutes each day and actually took stock of how much we already have and should be thankful for, rather than focusing too much time and attention to the long list of “wants”?

    Thank you for sharing this!

    Lin Burress´s last blog post..Mean Mom 101 – Lessons Learned From My Mean Mom

  5. rudyamid says:

    @Periapex: How we view life is always a matter of perspective. I can either view things negative and stress out all the time, or view positively and live a wonderful blissful life. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to live happy.

    @Lin: It does take a bit of effort to be thankful. But I’m confident, with practice, being thankful can be second nature. And that’s what I want!

  6. […] second blogger is Rudy, who recently wrote the post “Being Thankful“. It’s a great read, and reminds us to be thankful for what we have, to keep a positive […]

  7. […] a much better job than I ever could, I’m just going to link to his post again…  Being Thankful. If you haven’t read Rudy’s post yet, go and read […]

  8. Tim says:

    This is a great list. I am reading this at 6:00 am, and what an awesome way to start the day! Well, off to my fantastic job which right now I am so grateful for and stoked about!

    Tim´s last blog post..Spam-a-Lam-a-Ding-Dong – Spametry Lives On

  9. […] is Thanksgiving, one of my favorite time of the year.  I like to add more to my list of things to be thankful […]

  10. rudyamid says:

    That’s the spirit, Tim! You go get ’em!

  11. Beth says:

    That is a great post! It really does make me feel thankful and grateful for what I’ve got! I hope you don’t mind but I linked this page on my blog post on being thankful. I came across this blog when looking for images on being thankful. Thank You.

  12. rudyamid says:

    Hi Beth,

    Feel free to link to any of my blog, any time.

    And thank you for dropping by!

Leave a Reply

You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>