(no subject)
People on Facebook are posting one thing each day in November for which they are thankful. Not sure if they are going to stop at Thanksgiving or go all the way to 11/30. It will be interesting to see how far this goes, since they've covered their families, friends, and God and have started posting, "My car." I understand being thankful for a car, no doubt, but it's only the 15th! Typical Gangnam (me) style, I'll jump in and try to catch up and do 15 days at once. First of all: I'm not naming God, for the obvious implications that God is just one of 30 things on my list. I know I'm going to get stupid here.
1. I'm thankful for myself. No one's said that yet. Can I be done now?
2. It's not easy to be married to a saint, but I am thankful for Paul. Dubbed "St. Paul" by my Dad in 1987, meaning of course Paul's a saint for putting up with me. I'm thankful for all the junk he does to enable me, all the things he knows that I don't, and all the places he drags me to against my will but am later glad about. I'm thankful that he has never, for even one single minute out of 27 years, taken me for granted. (cuz I am so mysterious)
3. For Nigel, my first born, the Bon Vivant polyglot. He's everything I'm not, so I have to be thankful. I'm not, however, thankful for his most recent text that said he's going back to NY after only a day at home for Thanksgiving because he has to work because his Japanese bosses are mad that all the American workers want to take Thanksgiving and the next day off. As my Dad used to say to me, "Here, just take this knife and stab me, it will be a lot quicker..." Seriously, though, and El Nino if you're out there: I AM thankful that you are grabbing every opportunity, and that you are secure enough to know that I'll understand.
4. For #2 son, Abe, the stealthy scientist. He's a man with a plan...that plan is a secret. He's reserved and aloof but one of the funniest people I know. No one can make Nigel laugh the way he does, and that's something to be thankful for in itself. I can't wait to watch him swim this year, his senior season. His day includes everything that makes a person's life worthwhile: manual labor at the bar, humanitarian service at the hospital, intellectual discourse at school, scientific study in the lab, grueling workout at swim practice, and beautiful music practice at home. All the while keeping us laughing.
5. For Miss Missy, the Workhorse Fashionista. If I could have planned out the daughter I wanted to have, she'd have been less awesome than the real Missy. Equally brilliant and hilarious, mature beyond her years, great taste in the arts...I even shared with her what my Dad used to say to me. He was an absolute purist when it came to music, art, and literature.
Whenever I listened to/admired/read something that dot not fit his idea of "good," he would say, and excuse my language, "You have a real taste for shit." So now, Missy has started telling me that too! (leaving out the S word, of course)
6. For Ruby, Roooooobala (think Ricola cough drop ads and you'll hear me calling her to wake up every morning) Ruby is the Warrior Princess with a carefree beauty and strength of character like no other. She's only 12 but she is already taller than her 16 year old sister and me. She is so tender-hearted and very protective of her little brother--always has been. Like Nigel, she was very opinionated and bossy from ages 1 to 4. I thought neither one would grow out of it, that they would always tell me I wasn't allowed to drive their car (Nigel) or that every birthday cake had to say R-U-B-Y on it. At 12, Ruby could not be less bossy.
She's a reader, too, of 'good' things. She read, for example "Romeo and Juliet" several years ago and never said "I don't get the language." I even made her explain certain passages in her own words and at that point I knew she was on her way.
7. Jack, the Ninja Poet, perhaps the most enthusiastic, joyful and gracious child you will ever meet. At least once a day, he still says, "I'm so glad I'm in this family." His teachers tell me great stories about him--example, last year Mrs Sullivan said that someone in the class was trying to get her to tell them who won the Student of the Month award...she said, "I'm not supposed to spoil the surprise but I'll give you a hint...this month's award is for Politeness," and she said the whole class said in unison, "Jack." (Jack wasn't in the room at the time)
8. The rest of my family including brothers, sister-in-law, nephew and niece, cousins, the few aunts and uncles who are still with us, brothers/sister's in law on Paul's side, his awesome aunts and their families. I could write a whole book about my cousins and you'd think I made it up--they are such a beautiful mix of scholars, carpenters, scientists, teachers, artists, and doctors. It never ceases to amaze me that such a group could all come from my 4 grandparents.
9. Friends, real and imaginary. Again, a whole book could be filled with my gratitude to those who inspire, endure, and cheer me way, way up. It would start and end with my lifelong best friend and the middle would be another beautiful mix of the wise and wonderful.
10. The person who invented the automatic flush toilet for public restrooms. This person deserves a Nobel Prize. Have I mentioned how much I hate public restrooms? Hate is not a strong enough word.
11. Artists of all kinds. I am eternally grateful that there are people who choose to risk everything to put beauty in the world. The same people who risk rejection, criticism, misunderstanding every time they put brush to canvas or pen to paper (or whatever the digital equivalent of that is) or pick up a can of spray paint and head to the bridge. It takes courage and I am so jealous. It's almost too much of a risk for me to write in this blog, read by a only a handful of people, if that.
12. Another form of artist, but deserves a gratitude shout-out: musicians! Everyone who has two ears and a heart can agree with me on this. (from 30 Rock the hilarious tv show: Some character said, "Do you like Phil Collins?" Jack played by Alec Baldwin, "I've got two ears and heart, don't I?") I've spent the last few years in relative silence, with no musical score to my days. It took a bizarre and random joy to turn up the volume again and excavate the archives.
13. I'm thankful for bizarre and random joys, unexpected vitality, inspiration, return to life. That's right: television! Just kidding, I told you this was going to get stupid.
14. No wonder people are thanking their cars, this is hard. Not that I'm not grateful, it's just making this list. Ok, my car.
1. I'm thankful for myself. No one's said that yet. Can I be done now?
2. It's not easy to be married to a saint, but I am thankful for Paul. Dubbed "St. Paul" by my Dad in 1987, meaning of course Paul's a saint for putting up with me. I'm thankful for all the junk he does to enable me, all the things he knows that I don't, and all the places he drags me to against my will but am later glad about. I'm thankful that he has never, for even one single minute out of 27 years, taken me for granted. (cuz I am so mysterious)
3. For Nigel, my first born, the Bon Vivant polyglot. He's everything I'm not, so I have to be thankful. I'm not, however, thankful for his most recent text that said he's going back to NY after only a day at home for Thanksgiving because he has to work because his Japanese bosses are mad that all the American workers want to take Thanksgiving and the next day off. As my Dad used to say to me, "Here, just take this knife and stab me, it will be a lot quicker..." Seriously, though, and El Nino if you're out there: I AM thankful that you are grabbing every opportunity, and that you are secure enough to know that I'll understand.
4. For #2 son, Abe, the stealthy scientist. He's a man with a plan...that plan is a secret. He's reserved and aloof but one of the funniest people I know. No one can make Nigel laugh the way he does, and that's something to be thankful for in itself. I can't wait to watch him swim this year, his senior season. His day includes everything that makes a person's life worthwhile: manual labor at the bar, humanitarian service at the hospital, intellectual discourse at school, scientific study in the lab, grueling workout at swim practice, and beautiful music practice at home. All the while keeping us laughing.
5. For Miss Missy, the Workhorse Fashionista. If I could have planned out the daughter I wanted to have, she'd have been less awesome than the real Missy. Equally brilliant and hilarious, mature beyond her years, great taste in the arts...I even shared with her what my Dad used to say to me. He was an absolute purist when it came to music, art, and literature.
Whenever I listened to/admired/read something that dot not fit his idea of "good," he would say, and excuse my language, "You have a real taste for shit." So now, Missy has started telling me that too! (leaving out the S word, of course)
6. For Ruby, Roooooobala (think Ricola cough drop ads and you'll hear me calling her to wake up every morning) Ruby is the Warrior Princess with a carefree beauty and strength of character like no other. She's only 12 but she is already taller than her 16 year old sister and me. She is so tender-hearted and very protective of her little brother--always has been. Like Nigel, she was very opinionated and bossy from ages 1 to 4. I thought neither one would grow out of it, that they would always tell me I wasn't allowed to drive their car (Nigel) or that every birthday cake had to say R-U-B-Y on it. At 12, Ruby could not be less bossy.
She's a reader, too, of 'good' things. She read, for example "Romeo and Juliet" several years ago and never said "I don't get the language." I even made her explain certain passages in her own words and at that point I knew she was on her way.
7. Jack, the Ninja Poet, perhaps the most enthusiastic, joyful and gracious child you will ever meet. At least once a day, he still says, "I'm so glad I'm in this family." His teachers tell me great stories about him--example, last year Mrs Sullivan said that someone in the class was trying to get her to tell them who won the Student of the Month award...she said, "I'm not supposed to spoil the surprise but I'll give you a hint...this month's award is for Politeness," and she said the whole class said in unison, "Jack." (Jack wasn't in the room at the time)
8. The rest of my family including brothers, sister-in-law, nephew and niece, cousins, the few aunts and uncles who are still with us, brothers/sister's in law on Paul's side, his awesome aunts and their families. I could write a whole book about my cousins and you'd think I made it up--they are such a beautiful mix of scholars, carpenters, scientists, teachers, artists, and doctors. It never ceases to amaze me that such a group could all come from my 4 grandparents.
9. Friends, real and imaginary. Again, a whole book could be filled with my gratitude to those who inspire, endure, and cheer me way, way up. It would start and end with my lifelong best friend and the middle would be another beautiful mix of the wise and wonderful.
10. The person who invented the automatic flush toilet for public restrooms. This person deserves a Nobel Prize. Have I mentioned how much I hate public restrooms? Hate is not a strong enough word.
11. Artists of all kinds. I am eternally grateful that there are people who choose to risk everything to put beauty in the world. The same people who risk rejection, criticism, misunderstanding every time they put brush to canvas or pen to paper (or whatever the digital equivalent of that is) or pick up a can of spray paint and head to the bridge. It takes courage and I am so jealous. It's almost too much of a risk for me to write in this blog, read by a only a handful of people, if that.
12. Another form of artist, but deserves a gratitude shout-out: musicians! Everyone who has two ears and a heart can agree with me on this. (from 30 Rock the hilarious tv show: Some character said, "Do you like Phil Collins?" Jack played by Alec Baldwin, "I've got two ears and heart, don't I?") I've spent the last few years in relative silence, with no musical score to my days. It took a bizarre and random joy to turn up the volume again and excavate the archives.
13. I'm thankful for bizarre and random joys, unexpected vitality, inspiration, return to life. That's right: television! Just kidding, I told you this was going to get stupid.
14. No wonder people are thanking their cars, this is hard. Not that I'm not grateful, it's just making this list. Ok, my car.