What I'm Grateful For: Assorted Sappy Excerpts Pt.1

As of late, I have had to edit some rather disturbing footage on the evils of mankind. The other day, a close friend of mine posted a rather positive thread about what he is appreciative and grateful for. I decided I needed some optimism and positivity, so I made an attempt:

1.  God/The Creator: Not in the sense of some big guy with gray hair and beard, sporting white robes and Birkenstocks;  passing out harps, wings, and granting prayers like department store greeters with 50% off coupons on Black Friday. Whatever you believe, that’s cool with me but, ‘God’, by my definition, is everything that sustains or facilitates life. I am grateful for the Earth, the sun, the moon, the water, the air, the trees, plants, animals, and universe that make it possible for me to exist.  When I am dead, my body will be recycled, but my energy or essence continues on in another form. Life is an incredible opportunity, many of us don't realize how delicate and sacred it really is. Many do not respect it; assume responsibility for it or nurture it. Some over nurture their own life and place a higher value upon it above all others. A majority of us are just oblivious about life; the non-majority seeks purpose in the form of some clandestine evolution. Perhaps we were met to work against each other for the greater good? I don't have the answers and that's why I have to relinquish some control over to external forces that remain seen, unforeseen, and theoretical. A sense of God creates hope and sustains my optimism.

2.  Food/Shelter: I am thankful that I have a roof above my head. I am warm on cold nights and comfortable in my easy chair. I have indoor plumbing and hot water. I have electricity. I have food without struggling or going to great lengths to acquire it. I have good sanitation and hygiene. I think people take the little amenities for granted. Without any of these things, I would be very uncomfortable. I camped two weeks in a tent and bathed in a river. That was as close to being without all of the above mentioned that I ever want to come. Give me a Holiday Inn and my ice bucket, please. 

3. Sophie: Just saying that I am grateful for my daughter seems like a massive understatement. Sophie, a.k.a  Chica Moneky, Ma-qui, and Sofer. I love that my daughter is intelligent, creative, beautiful, cynical, sarcastically funny, out-spoken, rational minded, and a keen observer. She loves animals, she reads constantly, writes, she loves to draw/paint, she is soft spoken, kind, full of wonder and surprise.  Some people will say that once you have kids your life is over ( I used to say this too)—I think this couldn’t be further from the truth. I  feel like my life only just began the moment I knew she existed in the womb. I can’t think of a happier moment in my life than the day she was born and I got to see her for the first time. She helped me find my purpose, re-define and re-invent myself; she continues to motivate me to become a better person on all accounts. There is never a day that I wake up and look at my daughter, that something positive doesn’t emanate from her essence that exists in this world with me. She is quarky, weird, and scares the "normal", oppressed people. I love that.  To say I love her, is merely but a handful of words that only graze the surface of how much my head and heart are wrapped around her soul. I can't think of a solitary thing in this life that I fear more than losing her. If I lost her, a great part of me would die and I would be a shell of a human being who might as well take the next exit off the turnpike of living.

4. My Mother: I am grateful for my mom. My mom and I don’t always get along; we argue constantly and our ideologies clash most of the time. However, because of my mom, I am a stronger person, who is capable of overcoming a lot of adversity and challenges. My mom is a very intelligent, opinionated, creative, and nurturing person ( in her weird controlling way.) She is sarcastic, cynical, and humorous. She has good taste in music (omit her obsession with ABBA, Neil Diamond, disco, Carly Simon, and a few others.) Most importantly, she gave birth to me without drugs and raised me just slightly above the standards for child abuse. I think she shaked me a lot and left me in the sun frequently, as a baby. Character building. Just kidding. I love my mom, which is something I don’t say very often because we have that “two naked straight guys trying to hug in the shower thing” going on. My mom isn’t the most affectionate person, so love has to remain an unsaid gesture between us, always. She used to pass out condoms at Christmas to my girlfriends and talk about smoking pot fondly, while listening to Black Sabbath and the Doors. That's a privilege most people aren't afforded.

5. My Dad: Of course, I am grateful for my dad, a.k.a. ‘Pa’, 'Pops'  or ‘Pop-dopolus’. My dad is very sensitive, affectionate, loving, mellow, and intimidating when he’s pissed off. I avoid my dad at all costs when he is working on something in the garage or trying to put something together under my mother’s instruction.  My dad can be stubborn, selfish, and prone to excessive worry—but above all, he is a hard worker, with a good heart, and always provided for his family. I enjoy watching my dad irritate the crap out of my mother with his moments of ADD and annoying questions that are generally off topic. I also acquired an extensive vocabulary of curse words and degrading catch phrases from him—this always comes in handy when you have ran out of civil terms to describe just how pissed off you really are, especially when it pertains to anything involving automobile functionality.

6. My Grandmothers:  It goes without saying that I love and appreciate my grandmothers dearly. They argue and cackle like a couple of hens but when I try to think about living in a silent house without it, I realize that it would be a pretty empty house. My grandmothers have always been supportive and encouraging; even if they didn’t agree with something I was doing or they didn’t think it was the best course of action. They have always wanted me to be happy and they have always afforded me the freedom to learn or figure out things for myself, without rushing to judgment or putting me down.  They always make me feel beautiful, important, and intelligent. They are encouraging and quite often, restore my confidence and self- esteem. It's difficult to find people in your life who are supportive and build you up with compliments or acts of selflessness. It's even more rare to find people who love you unconditionally.