21 Things I'm Thankful For

I've been thinking a lot lately about thankfulness.  I feel SO thankful for so many things, and lately I've felt like it's been hard to contain my gratitude.  I put this list together of the Top 21 Things I'm Thankful For, initially thinking I'd write one every day and post it around Thanksgiving time... but once I started, I couldn't stop.  These are not in order of importance or really in any order at all.  But they all contribute to the incredibly vast beauty that I am so lucky to experience.

1. The World's Best Husband.  I can't even describe how lucky I am to have Ben.  He's the best partner anyone could ever ask for, in so many ways.  And really the all-around best PERSON that I know.

2. Living in Minneapolis, which I truly believe is one of the best places on earth.

3. Education.  This can take a variety of forms.  I'm thankful for both my formal higher education, as well as the drive to be a life-long learner and the small things I learn every day.

4. My Thursday Night Dinner (TND) friends.  Even though TND is a rare occurrence these days, I'm grateful for this amazing group of women who are enriching, life-long friends.

5. Running.  Running makes me feel good emotionally and physically. Also, I am very thankful for my running buddies!

6. My long-distance friends, who provide opportunities to travel and visit!  In the past year, I've visited 8 friends in 3 different locations.

7. The stable and secure jobs that both Ben and I are lucky enough to have.

8.  Jacob's Well.  Relevant, Honest, Thinking, and Casual. 

9. My "girly group". I look forward to Tuesday nights and meaningful discussions with amazing women.

10.  The many new friendships I've made this year....

11..... Especially the person who has taught me (among many other things) the definition of the term "best friend", and who complements and parallels me in so many ways.

12. Social media, which enables me to make and keep connections.

13. Chocolate.  Because let's be honest, life would suck without chocolate.

14. My little sister, who used to be just a baby and has grown up in every way imaginable.  She is a tiny package of brilliance and amazingness, and I've never been prouder of anyone. 

15. My health.  Once in awhile I'm reminded of how easy it is to take this for granted, and yet how important it is. 

16.  Lake Calhoun.  I love this lake.  This summer I've run around it, walked around it, biked around it, kayaked, canoed, and paddleboarded on it, and swam in it.

17. My book club.  The opportunity to read books that I normally would never pick up.

18.  Extroversion.  I have some personality traits that admittedly might not make it into the list of things I'm thankful for (my husband would probably agree!), but I am really happy to be an extrovert.  I love that I get my energy from being with people and that I love socializing with lots of groups of people. 

19.  Theater in Minneapolis.  The Twin Cities has the 2nd largest number of theater seats per capita (behind NYC), I'm happy to say that I have sat in dozens of them.

20.  My parents, who have been constants my entire life.  Not everyone is that lucky.

21.  A past that I look back on and smile about, a future in which I anticipate wonderful things, and a present that I continually live in and thrive in.