Gratitude

This week we will be celebrating Thanksgiving and that usually makes me take stock of the things I am grateful for. It's a shame that this holiday has basically become known as a national day of over eating because it was intended to be something so much more. This year has been one of the worst years of my entire life which makes the following exercise particularly therapeutic. Tonight, I am going to try and come up with a top 10 list of sorts. Gratitude is something that is often lacking in me when I become too caught up in the daily grind and the sometimes Herculean effort of just surviving in today's world. It is something that I am consciously making an effort to be more in touch with. I have found that the more in touch I am with what I am grateful for, the less I want or need and that is a beautiful thing! I highly recommend that everyone reading this take your own self survey and focus on the wonderful things in your own life as well.

1.) FRIENDS. My God am I blessed. I never realized how much till a crisis this year that really tested my metal. You know you are truly cared about when you get phone calls at all hours just checking up on you because you are too distraught to make calls or reach out yourself. I never really thought that anyone would care if I was seriously in trouble ,but I was wrong. From the healing gemstones I got in the mail to the cards and long conversations,to the dinners and thoughtful gifts I really don't know what to say so I'll leave it at that. I only hope that I am half as good to those who have been watching over me this year during my difficult times.

2.) My health. Even though I am facing a possible surgery, I am relatively healthy and strong and manage to go out into the world everyday and perform a physically demanding job. I look around on a daily basis at those less fortunate than me, and I am thankful for my physical well being.

3.) A job that I love and the opportunity to make very human connections with a diverse group of people on a daily basis. When I put my head on my pillow every night I rest knowing that I served a purpose and helped make another person's life more comfortable for this day.

4.)A place to live in a neighborhood/city that I love with affordable rent and a very nice landlord.

5.)An abundance of "things". All the perfume and makeup a woman could ever want. I have been concentrating on enjoying what I have and in that, I have stopped searching and buying. I realized that spending money on things I already have is counterproductive to the life I want to live and the goals I want to achieve. I'm still a girl who enjoys girly things but I am a more satisfied person lately

6.)Trader Joe's. You didn't think this was all going to be serious did you? Trader Joe's is heaven on earth! I wish there could be one in every town on earth. If it was down the block from me I would be in there on a daily basis.

7. Fashionable down coats. Gone are the days of those icky,manly Columbia down coats. Now, I have about 4 down coats that are totally high fashion, fitted, super stylish and really flattering. And they keep me really toasty while looking good.

8.)A BFF who works in a high end NYC Dept store who offered me his discount when shopping. This will come in handy with the colder weather coming and my lack of snow boots.

9.)A hairdresser who completely understands me and my mop and has made me look the best I ever have in my entire life with his magic hands. My recent haircut was the best ever, I pray that this man never ever retires or leaves me! I wish this for women everywhere on earth!

10.) The existence of BACON. Seriously. I know it sounds crazy but bacon makes me so deliriously happy that it's just unbelievable. It's like some strange sort of drug for me. I rarely eat meat ever but bacon, well, bacon is just MAGIC. Oh and since I'm thinking of foodstuffs.... Champagne and truffle salt. I am at # 10 so I can't make another number for these but I just had to add them. On Champagne, the bubbles, the scent, the tickling on the back of my throat and the sound of the cork popping. It's a sensory treat in every way! And truffle salt ,well, I realize that this makes me sound like a really out of touch elite snob but really, this stuff is just the most amazing thing I've tasted in a very long time. It is the salt God puts on his food, I am nearly sure of this. I tried it years ago and I guess I was not as open as I am now to different flavors. I was at Zabars a few weeks ago and was overcome with the urge to buy a small 3 ounce jar of it for the whopping sum of $19 (!!!!). FOR SALT. Yes, I questioned my sanity at the time but since cracking it open it has graced vegetables, meat, salad,pasta,risotto, popcorn, eggs....just about everything and it is the most fabulous rich delicious flavor on earth! Highly recommend and actually worth every penny as there is just nothing else like this flavor wise out there and it adds no fat to your food at all!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone reading this! :)