30 Days of Thankfulness Project: Part II

The second half of November flew by at the speed of light!  But I was able to take a few minutes each day to continue my 30 Days of Thankfulness Project.  Here are the things that I was thankful for over the past 15 days.  This has been such a valuable experience for me; taking a few minutes every day to reflect on the good things, big or small, is a great opportunity.  Highly recommended!

Day 16:
I am thankful for Minnesota seasons, which provide a chance to break up routines.  There are so many things we do in the summer that we'd never do in the winter, and vice versa.  Getting to experience the full gamut is something that is easy to take for granted during cold winters.

Day 17:
I am thankful to have things to look forward to in the coming weeks and months.  Having my sights on upcoming events makes it so much easier to get through the mundane days. I'm especially looking forward to a cruise in February to break up the long winter with a week of sun and warmth!

Day 18:
I am thankful for the start of "Family Dinner Club".  It was really nice to have a family-style dinner tonight with some of my closest friends, and to start a tradition of doing this regularly.  The idea of expanding the classic definition of family to include a chosen group of non-relatives has been really important to me in recent years, and family dinner is a wonderful way to appreciate that.

Day 19:
I am thankful for contrast today.  Days that are confusing, frustrating, or difficult are important, because they balance out days that are happy, joyful, and fulfilling. We need both in order to experience the full-spectrum of life, and we need the negative in order to really appreciate the positive.

Day 20:
I am thankful for the entertainment industry and for a chance to see Mockingjay tonight with Carl and company.  I have been enjoying movies my whole life, but rarely see them in theaters - and even MORE rarely go on opening night - so there is a feeling of nostalgic-excitement in doing so.

Day 21:
I am thankful for a new-found love of Podcasts!  I've been in the habit of listening to one broadcast each day on my walk home from work.  It's great to be able to use my commute time learning something or hearing someone's story.  It's also fun to be able to share my favorite Podcasts with friends, and vice versa.

Day 22:
I am thankful for a relatively warm day, and for a rejuvenating run with two of my running buddies, Ann and Erin.  I'm thankful for the many beautiful places to run in Minneapolis, for friends who respond to spontaneous invitations, and for the physical ability of running and moving my body.

Day 23:
I am thankful for lifelong friends. Yesterday, I had coffee with Erin, who has been a constant in my life for almost 20 years....  She knows every detail of my history, and vice versa.  Even though I only see her a few times a year now, there are still moments when we don't need to finish our sentences in order for the other to understand what we are saying.  There is a familiarity that can only really happen after decades of knowing someone.

Day 24:
I am also thankful for new friends. Tonight, I spent time with Eden and Scott, who I have only known for about a year but who have quickly become key people in my life.  It's not always easy to make new friends as an adult, and I am lucky enough to have found a number of new people in the past couple of years who have become fast friends that now I can't imagine living without.

Day 25:
I am thankful to live in a very gay-friendly city with a large LGBT population, and for a wide network of LGBTQA people in my life.  I am especially thankful for all those who have not only accepted me for who I am, but who have engaged in (probably what seems like endless) dialogue with me to help me figure out the most authentic version of myself.  I'm thankful that sexuality isn't static or binary.  I'm thankful for marriage equality in my state and in so many more states across the country this year.

Day 26:
I am thankful for access to health care.  It is easy to complain about dental and physical appointments - but the truth is that health care is something that I often take for granted, even though so many people live without it.  I'm also thankful for a clean bill of health, another thing that is not always certain for many people.

Day 27:
I am thankful for my family, and for spending time with them over the holiday.  Even though my family is small, we were still able to enjoy a nice Thanksgiving dinner together today.  I'm also thankful for Skype, which enabled us to spend some time "seeing" my sister Rebecca and her boyfriend in the afternoon.

Day 28:
I am thankful for relaxation.  The day after Thanksgiving is a university holiday at my job, so today I was able to sleep in, eat a relaxed brunch, and have a low-key "health day" with Seth.  I spend most of my time on the go, with every hour planned, but once in awhile a slower day is a really nice change of pace.

Day 29:
I am thankful for birthday celebrations!  Ever since I was young, I have loved celebrating birthdays, and I try to never miss a friend's birthday party.  I have a tradition of asking the birthday boy or girl to share some of the highlights of the year they've just lived, and some of the things they're looking forward to in the coming year.  By now, most of my friends roll their eyes a little when I begin this line of questioning, but most of them at least humor me by answering sincerely.

Day 30:
I am thankful to be able to express myself through writing.  Sometimes I can write about things that I wouldn't know how to say out loud.  Other times, getting words down on paper is the best way to really make sense of an experience or situation.  Writing is also my way of feeling like I have created something.