Warm Socks and Windshield Wipers

Another Thanksgiving has passed, and today I was thinking about all that I'm thankful for. Number one on my list, of course, is my family. Without them, my life would be meaningless.

But as I get older, there are items cropping up on my "things I'm thankful for" list that I never imagined, when I was younger, would be so important to me.

For example, I never thought I'd be so thankful for sleep. Just a few hours of uninterrupted sleep makes all the difference in how I feel during the day. And who knew I'd be so grateful to go a whole day without an ache, pain, or swollen joint? Not my 18-year-old self, I'll tell ya.

I never knew how much an hour of free time would mean to me one day, an hour to pursue something I'm interested in, as opposed to filling out paperwork, making phone calls, and putting out fires. I never envisioned that I would look forward so much to an hour at bedtime to read a good book or watch a favorite television show.

I never dreamt that I'd be thankful one day to simply have a roof over my head, be warm in winter, and have a car with tread on the tires and working windshield wipers. I never imagined that I would take such pleasure in a sweater or a warm pair of socks.

But I do appreciate all these things and more - little things that most people take for granted. It's a knowledge that was hard won. And I'm thankful for it also.