A car wash membership.

A longer conversation last night with our son – he is safe and missing us as much as we miss him.

Cool, rainy days that make me very happy – I will miss these days when it is 85 and 147% humidity.

The sound of a carbonated beverage in a can being opened is ahhhhhhh and makes my mouth water.

Granddaughters who make potholders.

Beginning to feel a little more room in my pants, thanks to WW and a new treadmill.

A lovely card from Connie, just because.

A niece who takes the time to step in and love a lot.

Time spent with Karissa and the kids that was so unexpected, so chaotic, so good for my soul.

Piano friends who are Dad’s friends who are my friends who make me happy.

Our small group.

My sister, safe at home after a long road trip vacation.

My boss friend who sends cards to my people.

Having a close friend show up on HER birthday weekend to be an extra lap, extra baby holder, extra set of eyes, extra grandparent… for my grandchildren’s surprise visit.

My friends are an oasis to me, encouraging me to go on. They are essential to my well-being.

Dee Brestin

Great cancer center reports again and reasons to celebrate.

Trash day. Empty dumpsters that were full of soiled diapers are rather nice.

Sanitation workers. My heroes.

Best neighbors in the world who see lights left on by real estate agents in our home far away, and walk next door after dark to turn them off for us.

Having enough ingredients so I could throw out the first disaster of a from scratch birthday cake when I forgot to add the flour AND the buttermilk because my mind is squirreling all over the place these days.

And the happiest happy of all: My Dad who celebrates another milestone tomorrow – 91 years and going strong.

I am grateful for a new addition to our home.

I am grateful for a little time spent with Dad.

I am grateful for halfway motivation – it is better than none.

I am grateful my daughter calls me.

I am grateful for a Tacoma granddaughter who now messages me.

I am grateful for piano friends who have become more than piano friends.

I am grateful for the beautiful blessing yesterday of attending church online with my brothers, sister-in-law, and Dad, and then attending church in person at COR and singing out loud, unmasked, for the first time in two years.

I am grateful for new shelves and a little more order in the bathroom.

I am grateful this office building only has 6 floors to climb.

And I am grateful that the orchestra played Be Still, My Soul and Blessed Assurance…just for me.

Long term friends.

Dogs who hang out the back window looking sad on my way to work and then do the same thing again the next day.

An organic egg farm that puts surprise messages inside for the consumer to find.

Sunday afternoon lunch at a local coffee shop with Dad, sister, and husband that included a rousing game of points dominoes.

A sister who encourages me without shaming to kickstart a program to lose all this weight and is partnering beside me to make it happen.

An incredible book to listen to on my pre-dawn walks and the reminder this morning to I John 4:7-8 in every encounter with another human being, whether in person or online or in speaking to others.

I am grateful for things to look forward to and another daughter wedding this year.

I am grateful for a little 4-year-old birthday girl who got to control Mom’s phone during a video call with Ama and took me all through the house to show me this and this and this and this and “I want to see Sam,” and showed me this kid and that kid and this kid and that kid and “Aynjel wants to see Sam,” and showed me this and this and this and this and “Anissa wants to see Sam” and whipped that phone all over the place to give Ama a minor but very happy headache.

I am grateful for simple but profound.

I am grateful for purring at 3:58 am this morning.

I am grateful for Minute Clinics with open appointment times and the medicine that comes with it.

I am grateful for such great discussion with my husband about life matters.

On Sunday during Zoom church, Joyce shared II Timothy 4:1-8 from The Message. She added her thoughts, and what she said resonated with me and has played on my internal jukebox since that morning.

We are His messengers. We are fed on Sunday and we aren’t supposed to just keep it to ourselves. DISPENSE THE MESSAGE.

I am grateful for Joyce thoughts to not keep the message to ourselves.

Doug Baker also shared during that hour about the WOW factor in church. Our pastor, my brother, asked us, “Should “wow factor” have any place in our discernment and decisions about how to worship and serve the Lord?” When we think about “WOW” in church, we often think of big screens, lighting, worship bands, etc. Doug offered a different perspective, however. He equated “wow factors” with Ellene sharing the words to a hymn with him after his wife passed away, or a special children’s sermon from Tony that has stayed with him for a long time, or the sunlight beaming in through the stained glass window when he entered the meeting house one Sunday morning.

I am grateful for Doug thoughts to recognize the wow factors that are evident all around us.

I am grateful to be a part of a Friends Meeting that reaches down deep and touches my soul, grateful to call my brother and sister-in-law our pastors, grateful for the Holy Spirit’s prompting on Sunday mornings.

I am grateful for Betty Daniels and her impact on my life in the short amount of time I knew her. She made a difference to me and I will miss her on Thursday evening piano nights.

I am grateful for hot cinnamon tea.

And I am grateful for II Corinthians 1:6, TLB version and Oswald Chamber’s thoughts: God has comforted us – and this, too, to help you: to show you from our personal experience how God will tenderly comfort you when you undergo these same sufferings.

When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you get into the light.

Oswald Chambers

We are supposed to be in Banff tonight. Covid cautions prevented that from happening and we canceled our bucket list train trip last minute, but we decided to go ahead and take one of the weeks and cross off another bucket list bullet point to go road tripping to Arizona via Fort Worth last week. It is something I love about Sam – he is a spontaneous traveler and we just drive by the seat of our pants sometimes…

We wanted to surprise a grandson and showed up at his basketball game last Saturday before heading to San Antonio and the South Texas border for a scenic drive through Big Bend and on to Arizona. After the win and lunch, all of a sudden, Sam thought we should ask if the two oldest grandchildren could accompany us on the trip, and within an hour, we changed all our plans and added two travelers, changed our route, and off we went.

Odessa to Van Horn to El Paso to Tucson to Phoenix to Scottsdale to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon to Albuquerque to Santa Fe to Angel Fire to Tucumcari to Amarillo to Wichita Falls, and back to Fort Worth and then home to Kansas City.

Six days, almost 4000 miles, lots of laughter, things we have never seen before, and more gratitude than I can possibly name one by one.

I am more than grateful for this past week and the experiences that filled the days.

I am more than grateful for safety and health as we traveled.

I am more than grateful for time spent with two of the best kids in the history of the world. They never once minded getting up before the sunrise, were meticulous about packing their bags and being ready to go, helped load and unload every single time, kept the vehicle clean, always said “thank you,” and never complained about anything at all. It was a joy to hear them pray and experience seeing mountains for the very first time.

I am more than grateful for a driver who made us laugh and stopped every time we needed a picture. Sam was so patient and provided much entertainment in the form of his “character voices.”

I am more than grateful for an alternate plan for a Canadian disappointment. We will take that trip one of these days.

I am more than grateful for the awe beauty and vast difference in landscapes.

I am more than grateful for kids who never minded our insistence on masking and washing hands; I am more than grateful for a good supply so we never ran out.

I am more than grateful for a 16+ hour drive yesterday so we could wake up this morning in our own bed.

And I am more than grateful for a sister who took care of Banana and Split so we didn’t have to worry about our kids at home.

It was a great vacation with forever memories…

Several years ago, I took part in Bingo therapy when my mom passed away and I needed therapy to fill the void and soothe the grief. I volunteered at an Assisted Living facility every Tuesday night and made many friends and adopted moms. That hour and a half never disappointed.

These days, thanks to my wonderful dad who asked me to do this, I play the piano for an hour after work on Thursday evenings at his apartment complex. Almost no exceptions, I leave work exhausted, and no exceptions, I leave Dad’s place completely filled and renewed.

I am no concert pianist or cocktail bar virtuoso. I am a church pianist with no sheet music. I play what comes to mind, and sometimes it is a jumbled mess of pieces of hymns mixed with fluff music that just flows with my emotions. If I am happy, it sounds happy. If I am feeling melancholy, that is what they get. If I am thinking about Mom, it is some of her favorites or what was sung at her memorial service. If I am reminiscing about growing up in the Friends Church, it is Faith is the Victory and What a Friend We Have in Jesus mixed with He Hideth My Soul and How Firm a Foundation. There is a small group of adopted moms who seem to like the hymns and even quietly sing along. There are a few Catholics who wish I knew some Catholic standards. There is a man who sure wishes I knew more 60’s rock. I sometimes ask for requests, but more often than not, I have to say, “Rats, I don’t know that one.”

I am so grateful my Dad wanted me to come and play when Marilyn the cruise ship musician had to move to a new facility and the lobby had gone quiet.

I am grateful Dad comes to listen to my music and he brings friends. They have become my friends, too.

I am grateful that the instrument in the lobby is my childhood piano. God knew that 40 years later, it would be needed and would be played by the same fingers that spent so many hours of practice on it.

I am grateful that when I need therapy, I have this hour of time each week to unload my thoughts and my stress through my fingers.

I am grateful God gave me the gift of playing by ear, grateful that my brain stores hymns on its hard drive, and grateful that I have not lost all the training Mom and Dad paid for those 14+ years.

And I am grateful for piano tuners.

It has been awhile. I know. I beat myself up for it regularly.

There is so much to do, there is so much to be grateful for, what is more pressing, I need to make time, I can’t seem to find enough time, I am mentally exhausted…

So, this morning, as I opened my drawer and pulled out a pair of socks, I thought, “I am so grateful for new socks.” These aren’t magical and spectacular. They are Costco. But a new package of socks is an emotional boost to begin my day.

I am grateful we might have snow this weekend. It is January. Let there be snow.

I am grateful for my Michelle desk calendar that has a very simple message for today: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything: tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers. – Philippians 4:6

I am grateful for new cards and new stamps.

I am grateful for time spent with my sister on my birthday. She is simply the best there is.

I am grateful for new placemats, a new ultra soft jacket, roses at work AND at home, tickets to events, several cards, and although I didn’t have my red velvet cake, I did have cookies and cupcakes, so it was a nice day to celebrate.

I am grateful for a husband with a huge heart.

I am grateful for our small group and C.S. Lewis who makes me think about things other than clinical development and biologic manufacturing and market insights today.

I am grateful for friends who come visit.

I am grateful we have remained covid-free so far, which makes me grateful for masks and sanitizer and brains to do the right thing and the wits to protect others.

I am grateful I will see my Dad and our piano friends tonight.

And I am still grateful for a package of new socks.

I had a very bad dream in the night. I woke up with a heavy heart, thinking about all the things that are making my shoulders sag even more than usual.

Matthew 11 kept knocking, very quietly. “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…”

I didn’t answer.

I opened the garage door to head to work, and the yoo hoo chickadees had arrived, just in time to say, “Yoo hoo!” Inside my head, I said, “Alright, God. I get it. Thank you for the reminder, once again.”

And in a span of about 15 minutes, I had forgotten and slumped back into heaviness.

I shared with Sam as we were driving to work how heavy my heart was, and he said, “Well, look at that. If that isn’t a message…”

I am grateful today for reminders everywhich way.

I am grateful today for the palm of His hand.

I am grateful today for friends who pray and believe and trust that He has Anthym and her family and is holding them tight, protecting them, shielding them, healing them, placing angels around them, and giving them peace and rest in the middle of the storm.

And I am grateful for this weight to carry, a reminder to fall back on Matthew 11.

We celebrated on Saturday with others. The new-to-us home was finally presentable, evidence of Sam’s hard work and love of all things project-related.

I am grateful for friends and family who joined us on a beautiful day.

I am grateful for a flood of happy memories to cover the sad and not-so-happy.

I am grateful for surprise gnomes that keep showing up to make me smile and appreciate friendship and love.

I am grateful we have an annual tradition.

I am grateful Sam cares as much as I do about acknowledging the blessings.

I am grateful for 2021 and a return to semi-normal.

I am grateful for fresh flowers, I love them so much.

I am grateful to have the extra blessing of his medical miracle this year.

I am grateful for my homes, both of them.

I am grateful for the best friend who comes and takes charge so I can be less stressed and not worry about the food.

I am grateful to have had my sister, my nephew, my Dad, and my stepdaughter here this year. They were at our very first which happened to be our wedding, and now at our ninth annual, too.

I am grateful for Mom. Her 90th birthday was yesterday, and I don’t know if there are parties in Heaven, but I had a quiet party for her internally. She has missed all these celebrations the last nine times, but I like to think she was in attendance and grinning big with tears in her eyes.

Tokens of congratulations are on the table, waiting to open on this day to acknowledge official number eight. Tonight we celebrate, just the two of us.

I am grateful for God’s mercy and grace on our lives, individually and together.

I am grateful for a husband who prays with me and for me.

I am grateful that I am told how much I am loved and appreciated.

I am grateful for a partner who cares about my family, cares about being a family.

I am grateful for so much. A lot has happened since we began to write this story, and I am grateful Sam enjoys looking back at all we have experienced over the years. Dinner conversation will be all about reflection…

Today, I am grateful for us.

If we would take just 1/10th of the energy we invest in criticism and convert it to GRATITUDE, our lives would improve 100%. – Alan Cohen, paraphrased

My Dad gave that sentence to me this morning after we arrived at my sister’s home for a wonderful day of thanksgiving.

Tonight, I am grateful for that reminder.

If I fill my mind with bitterness and complaint and focus on that which causes me pain and disappointment, THAT is what will come out in my speech, my facial expression, my attitude.

If I make a conscious effort to focus my thoughts on the beauty all around me, the people who are in my life who cause me joy, the luxuries and benefits of living in this time in history/this country/this community/this home, THAT is what will come out in my speech, my facial expression, my attitude.

My boss friend and I were talking about this yesterday as she was attempting to encourage me to do just that. We both have personal experience in this area, either recognizing ourselves or someone close to us who made life miserable for everyone else in the room because of the inability or lack of effort to let it go and enjoy the moments. The Mary vs. Martha example comes to mind…

Tonight, I am grateful for my sister. She enjoyed the day today, and our family benefited from her ability to host AND focus on the beauty of the moment.

I am grateful for the tears that came to my eyes when we all held hands before the meal and my Dad prayed once again for our Thanksgiving meal and acknowledged God’s blessings.

I am grateful for a room full of twenty-somethings. They provided the entertainment during our meal, and as a member of the “older adult” table, it was a JOY to sit and listen to their table laughter and fodder and listen to the cousins reminisce.

I am grateful for a quiet evening here at home before a busy Friday of preparation begins.

I am grateful for a partner who silly grocery shops and cleans house and makes beds and cares as much as I do about creating a welcoming home.

I am grateful for a diverse circle of friends and family to recognize this weekend.

I am grateful for the privilege of having one of my closest friends from far away visit with her little girl, a new fwiend to add to our circle.

I am grateful for similarities in stories, just another way to connect by saying, “me too.”

I am grateful that I did not have to prepare the meal this year.

And I am grateful for a buffet of delicious and homemade Chex mix.