I don’t write on this site very often. I do write emails that are more personal to family and friends. But Thanksgiving is a special time for reflection on what we are thankful for, so here are some things on my list. Some are the obvious, some are things we take for granted, and some might be a little crazy. And a lot of them are in no specific order.
1. The knowledge that there is a purpose to this life.
2. The knowledge of a Heavenly Father who loves me and wants me to come back to him after this life.
3. My Savior, Jesus Christ, who was an incredible example to me, who took upon himself all sins, died for me and was resurrected for me so that I can live again.
4. The membership in the Lord’s church.
5. To be able to attend church as often as we like
6. Living so close to church
7. All the opportunities to serve in the church. I am thankful for every single church calling I have had. I have learned so much and, hopefully, become a better person. I could probably list 1000 blessings just associated with that, the people I have worked with and served, the incredible lessons I have learned etc.
8. The holy scriptures. Wow! What a guidance in our lives! And I am so grateful to all who sacrificed so much so that we would have them, the prophets who wrote and preserved the records and those who brought them forth and/or translated them.
9. The printing press so that we can have everything at our fingertips.
10. Living at this time in life.
11. Living in this country, USA.
12. Being born and raised in Sweden.
13. Good parents, who taught us how to work, taught us correct principles and gave us a great foundation.
14. My handsome husband, who is a great provider and loves me and the family, who honors his priesthood, who has a big heart and cares for and helps others, who wants the best for us all.
15. That I have been able to stay home and raise our children and serve others, and haven’t had to work outside the home much during our marriage. That I have been able to spend lots of time with my children, going to their functions, helping out in the classroom and on field trips, attending their sports, choir and drama events. That I have been able to have time to study for lessons, help others in need, and be able to do things around the house that needed to get done.
16. My wonderful children, who honor their parents and are doing their best in making a living, raising their families and living righteous lives. And my good single children who are a joy in my life. They are all intelligent, smart, good, and I am proud of all of them.
17. My children’s spouses who work hard, love their spouses and children, and teach the children the right way to live.
18. My grandchildren with loving hugs and visits at grandma’s.
19. Abby, our dog, who is the sweetest dog ever.
20. A house to live in, a place to make a home, a refuge from the world, a place to be comfortable no matter what the weather is like outside, a place for family to gather, a place to cook, play, watch TV, work on the computer, talking, playing music, being together……
21. Heater and air conditioning to keep us comfortable year around.
22. Washing machine, dryer. I’d hate to think of washing in a stream or bucket.
23. Dishwasher.
24. Telephone, including cell phones. Can any of us imagine life without cell phones now?
25. Computers. Same question as above. And we haven’t had them for that long, either.
26. Microwave oven. I use it mostly for heating food, so much easier than before. Some cooking.
27. Stove, oven, barbecue, all things to simplify cooking.
28. Refrigerator and freezer to keep food safe, cold, good and last longer.
29. Indoor plumbing. We turn a faucet and cold or warm water comes out. We can take indoor baths and showers. We don’t have to go stumble out to a stinky outhouse in the cold, at night, or any time. We can do laundry and dishes inside with warm water. We don’t have to carry water from a well or stream.
30 Cars, buses, trains, planes, all vehicles to take us places, to help us run errands, visit our family, visit foreign and familiar places, to make life easier on us, to serve others, to do good things……..a long list.
31. Computers. To keep in touch, to research, to write blogs, emails etc, to learn, to pay bills and do banking, to help in family research work……. another long list.
32. A warm, comfortable bed, with comforters and pillows. The ground or the floor just doesn’t sound good to me any more.
33. Stores that have everything.
34. But I am grateful that I can go to a store and realize that I don’t really NEED anything. Wants are a different story. And if I do need something, I can get it.
35. A back yard and a place to play and be in.
36. The beautiful mountains. The beauty, the majesty, the view, the place to hike with Ed and Abby, a place to go sledding, the colors, the way they keep the air cooler longer in the mornings before the sun comes up over them…
37. The view we have of the lake and the valley.
38. Great neighbors where ever we have lived.
39. Great friends who love and inspire
40. The temple. So close and so wonderful and such a peaceful place to be and communicate with our Heavenly Father.
41. Prayer. To know we have somebody who listens and wants the best for us.
42. Answers to prayers. Such a comfort and such a help in life.
43. Roads. Good roads to drive on and keep us safe (mostly) in getting to our destinations.
44. Rain. To clean the air, to water our plants and give life.
45. Snow. I love the snow capped mountains and the clean, white surroundings. I don’t even mind shoveling snow. It is good exercise.
46. Snow plows, salt and sand that make the roads safer when it does snow.
47. Our treadmill and other exercise equipment so we can exercise indoors and try to stay in shape even in the cold of winter.
48. Good doctors, hospitals and great technology that restored Ed to good health after his heart attack. Include great medicines in that, too.
49. Good medical insurance.
50. Ed’s great job, working with wonderful people and being able to influence others for good.
51. Paper in all forms. To write on, printed or written to read for learning or pleasure, to research, to clean with, to communicate with, to print, to fax….. and I do appreciate soft toilet paper. What would life be without paper?
52. Trees. For beauty, for shade, for the fruit and nuts they give, for supplying lumber to build homes, other buildings and furniture with, supplying paper…..
53. Fall colors. I love the orange, yellow and red in the fall. The mountains look like they are on fire for a few weeks.
54. All kinds of water. Streams, ponds, lakes, the ocean, rivers, all provide such beauty and pleasure at the same time as it gives us the life giving liquids we need.
55. Sunrises and sunsets. I loved going down to the beach in Oceanside in the winter and watch the sun go “down in the ocean”. Linnea used to call it a big orange. I also loved to go walking early in the mornings there, seeing the silhouette of the mountains with the sun just barely coming up over them. I love to see the pink sky or when it looks as if the sky is on fire.
56. The sun. Life giving and warm. When you haven’t seen it for a while, it just makes you happy.
57. Blinds and curtains to block out the sun when it gets too hot. And the same to open up and let the sunshine in when it is cold.
58. The moon and the stars. The beauty and the light from them.
59. The rainbow. Sometimes we see two at the same time. The beauty and the promise from the Lord of no more flooding as in Noah’s time.
60. Food. All kinds of food. That it is readily available and we can get any kind, any time. That may not always be so, and I appreciate it so much. Junk food, healthy food, any flavor, chocolate, fruit, berries and vegetables, milk, cereal, juice, fish, chicken……..
61. A garden. I absolutely love going out to the garden, picking vegetables, bring them in the house and use them for our meals. Thanks, dad, for helping us make one here. And I miss it now that it is colder. We do have parsley still, though.
62. Furniture to sit on, to put things on or in.
63. Carpet to keep the floor soft.
64. Tile for beauty and easier to keep clean than carpet.
65. Dishes, pots, pans, utensilis to eat on or with and to cook with.
66. Smiles. A good smile brightens the day.
67. Tears. Of joy, of thankfulness, of sadness. A way of showing how we feel and to release tension.
68. Good health.
69. Aches and pains to remind us how great good health is.
70. Wind when it cools you off. I can’t say I am thankful for hurricanes or destructive winds other than that they remind you how vulnerable we are and how much we rely on higher powers.
71. Time. To use as we please, but hopefully for good.
72. A prophet to guide us.
73. General conference and the talks to guide us in life.
74. Ensign and New Era. I always read the New Era first for some reason.
75. Life. To be here on this earth and for all the experiences, good or bad.
76. Missionaries. The ones who brought the gospel to our family and to Ed. And our family missionaries who have and are spreading the gospel to all the world. Elders do look handsome in the suit and ties. And the sister missionaries look beautiful. Thank you to all the missionaries who are such great ambassadors for the church.
77. The knowledge of what is right and wrong no matter what the world says and the power to act on it.
78. Love. For friends, for those who hurt us, for all mankind, for family, for God and Jesus Christ. For love we give and love we receive.
79. For new life and babies. Nothing brings the spirit of God into our lives more than that. I am thankful for all my “babies” and grand babies, old and young.
80. Agency. I am grateful to have mine. I am just sad when agency is used for bad, to hurt, to overpower others.
81. Challenges that help us grow.
82. Family History work. To feel a closeness with my ancestors, to learn to love them, to appreciate what they were and what they passed on to me. It is a “high” in my life. To be able to do the work for them that they can’t do for themselves. To feel their guidance as I seek out their information. The miracles that have happened in association with that. But another blessing is that it helps you use your brain. It takes some enormous detective work and reasoning to find information at times.
83. A brain. Even though it doesn’t comprehend everything and I am slow at times. It sure will be nice when we can use the whole thing.
84. Siblings. They lift me and inspire me and it doesn’t matter how far away we are, it is always great to see each other and hear from each other.
85. All other family members. Cousins, especially Eva, who loves me and keeps in contact and gives strength to my life. Nieces and nephews who are doing great and are wonderful examples to me. And hugs when I see them. My grandparents, who I can’t wait to see again in the next life. Aunts and uncles, who have influenced my life in different ways.
86. Calculators. We didn’t have those when I went to school.
87. Video, DVD, digital cameras, and all other new inventions to help us record and remember, and watch.
As I am sitting here, the list in my mind just grows bigger. I might sit here all day, but I have to get some things done. Maybe I will continue later with the list. It sure is good to think about all the wonderful things we have. I have been abundantly blessed.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Hug, Gil
