Thanks-giving Feast

Earlier today, a friend posted a link to an article about gratitude. As I read it, I thought both about this blog, which quite often comes around to gratitude, and about my day to day life, which comes around to gratitude not nearly as often. It is, perhaps, easy to be grateful that we are not facing the dire medical issues or personal losses that we see friends go through. It is, perhaps, easy to be grateful for a regular paycheck or healthy children. But what of the things and people all day who turn what could be the rough patches of our days into the smallest of bumps in the road--
 
The tech help desk associate, who doesn't charge for advice and doesn't judge people based on their degree of knowledge or possession of technology.
 
The co-worker who talks you over the wall of fatigue on the overnight shift.
 
The friend who, happening to be up late, remembers that you too will be up, and will be happy to read her email.
 
The computer program that reaches one hundred percent just as you think you will never make it past eighty.
 
The neighbor, randomly encountered, who unwittingly provides much-needed perspective.
 
The long-forgotten skill that suddenly comes in handy.
 
The long-hidden kitchen ingredient that suddenly helps make a great meal.
 
The scrubby side of the sponge, which makes washing pots and pans a blip rather than a task.
 
The fuzzy socks that are in the wrong enough place to be found just when your icy feet need them.

Sometimes, it's the little things that make up our thanks-giving feast...