What I am thankful for...

I am thankful for

1. My family

2. My friends

3. Being all together during the holidays

4. My health

5. All my blessings

These are great things to be grateful for. Really. I'm grateful for all of these things. But, so is everyone else. These are standard answers at dinner parties ("I'm just so thankful to be with all my wonderful friends") and in prayers ("Dear God, thank you for my family and our health during this holiday season"). But wouldn't it be awesome if someone busted out with- "Dear God, thank you for Tivo's ability to record two shows at once and the Angry Birds iphone app." I mean, who wouldn't agree with you!? I know I would say "amen" with a little more gumption if a prayer like that was said at my family's Thanksgiving dinner. You can give thanks for family and friends silently as you dig into the mean green bean casserole. So, for this post, I decided to write about what I am thankful for besides the stock answers (while, although true, add nothing to the conversation).

Example:

Kay: I'm so thankful for all my friends.

Lee: Um, thanks.

Kay: Um, you're welcome

Lee: So...

Kay: Soo...

Lee: Sooo how are you and Dan?

Kay: We broke up.

Lee: Oh. So...

Awkward. So awkward I'm literally fidgeting with social anxiety just imagining this uncomfortable conversation.

NOW- take a look at what happens when you leave out the routine response ->

Crimson: I'm so thankful for the braised tofurky recipe Martha Stewart posted on her website!

Sunburst: Oh my goodness that sounds like a slice of heaven. Are you a vegetarian?

Crimson: Yes! I'm completely against slaughterhouses that are rampant in this greedy, profit driven country.

Sunburst: I completely agree, have you seen the documentary Food Inc.?

- I'll stop writing here because the conversation flowed on for another thirty minutes or so and included an invitation to a vegetarian retreat, a facebook friend request, a date to protest outside KFC, and the exchanging of phone numbers.

I think the evidence speaks for itself. Vegetarians are odd birds. Oh, and you should verbally express your gratitude for your delicious yoga instructor or the XXL sweatpants that allow you to devour the entire Thanksgiving buffet because everyone already knows your thankful for mom and pop.

Anyways, this leads me to my gratitude list.

5 things I am grateful for... that involve running.

1. DICKS... Sporting Goods. Get your mind out of the gutter.

2. Lost animal signs on street corners... it's like a neighborhood game of eye spy!! Bringing communities together one lost animal at a time.

3. Sweating. Did you know dogs can't sweat? That is why they pant. I already look pretty freakin rough past 3/4 of a mile- so can you imagine if my tongue was flapping in the wind and saliva spittle was flying onto car windows and unsuspecting pedestrians.

Guinea pigs and rabbits can't sweat either... although I am highly jealous of that wheel guinea pigs run on.

4. Colored running shirts. I love when I finish a run and there are huge sweaty pit stains and that nice moist circle of perspiration on my back. Some people may think this is nasty, but to me, it's a physical representation of the grueling journey and my resilience to overcome. Deep, huh? White shirts just don't do the sweat justice.

5. Sports bras, enough said.

I am now, SILENTLY, thinking in my head- friends, family, health, blessings, and so on and so fourth.

I hope you all had a delightful Thanksgiving. I will post about the Turkey Trot tomorrow (highlights- Turkey hats, men in booty shorts, my sister-in-law shutting a flirtatious fellow down, and paying the parking attendant 4 dollars in change... ohh what a fun day.)