This Month’s Ode to Gratitude

Well y’all, Thanksgiving is upon us.

Every time I check Facebook, I see 397 statuses about whatever Ashley and Carol are thankful for today. Every ten minutes, my phone vibrates, letting me know that some cousin is maybe going to invite her boyfriend to Thanksgiving dinner, and that Aunt Kate is planning to bring the green bean casserole.  My formal dining room and breakfast nook have both been set for the occasion, complete with freshly polished silver and chinoiserie-painted pumpkins that match the china.  For better or worse, the big day is closing in on us!

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In the interest of holiday fun, I decided it might be a good idea for us to all take a moment to reflect on the things that we’re thankful for: Not just the big things, like our families or our nation, but the smaller things.  The things that sometimes get lost in the shuffle.  Things like co-workers who have the coffee ready on a rainy Monday, or the way that an old college sweatshirt feels when it’s fresh from the dryer.

Personally, I’m pretty thankful for the following:

• Weirdly useful products that outlive their expected lives.

I don’t know about you, but growing up, one of the great mysteries was when my dad would say something like “Now make sure you don’t lose that coffee mug.  That’s my good coffee mug.”

I’d look at it.  And it would say something like “Great Plains Carpet Cleaning” in faded letters, and the handle would be chipped, and it would have all these weird stains.  And I’d be super confused, because come on, our cabinet was full of nicer coffee mugs than that.

Dollar Tree was full of nicer coffee mugs than that.

On top of that, it’s not like we had any kind of sentimental attachment to Great Plains Carpet Cleaning.

We didn’t even know where Great Plains Carpet Cleaning was, or how said mug had been acquired.  And yet somehow, some weird corporate giveaway from a forgotten conference in Iowa circa 1976 had been elevated to ‘the good coffee mug’.

Y’all. As an adult, I get it.  Sometimes, something just happens to do its job way better than expected.

I now have a Drury Corporation beach towel that the husband and I fight over.  I have an extra thick business card from a photography company that I’ve spent countless hours playing with, because it’s nice and thick, and I have a hard time keeping my hands still.  I have a set of picture frames from Dollar Tree that my sister picked as decor for my bridal shower. Those stupid $1 picture frames have now graced every room in my house, and three of them are sitting in my office as we speak.

In a world of planned obsolescence, there’s something magical about cheap throwaways that endure forever.

• Heated seats

This one is just self-explanatory.

• Fulfilling random childhood goals

In case it isn’t obvious, I’m not exactly living Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous here.

I mean, I’m comfortable.  But realistically, on the great spectrum of wealth, I probably have more in common with the guy living under the bridge than I do Bill Gates.  As such, meeting my financial goals tends to be sort of hit or miss:  Eating at Olive Garden is a go, but that 7,000 sq. ft. house I have my eye on is probably going to have to wait awhile.

Moreover, it’s not like I do anything particularly cool.  Nobody spends their childhood dreaming of the day when they can answer emails and write advisory memos on commercial lending.

However, those years of answering emails (as well as a few decades of depreciation and changing styles) have allowed other childhood dreams to come true.

Like an entire closet of Ralph Lauren, filled with polo shirts in every color of the rainbow.  Or a refrigerator with an ice maker on the front.  Or, as mentioned above, a car with heated seats.

I’m sorry, but that stuff is awesome.  And fourth grade Tipper is very happy that I’ve answered enough emails over the years to make those dreams happen.

• Jaritos Fruit Punch (in the glass bottles)

There are no words for how grateful to Mexico I am for this export.

I generally do my best to avoid sodas, due to the fact that I appreciate being able to fit through standard doorways.  This, however, will always be an exception.  If the problem can’t be solved by Mexican fruit punch, it’s just too big of a problem to solve, so no use worrying anymore.

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Alrighty, now that I’ve rambled on endlessly about the things I’m thankful for, it’s y’all’s turn.

Take a minute to reflect on the things that you’re grateful for.  And, if you feel like it, share with the rest of us.  I would love to know everybody else’s gratitude list!