What are you thankful for today? (It's a prompt if you want it to be.)
This year, I polled everyone at MaMaZina about what they were thankful for on Thanksgiving. I knew I would get a mish-mosh, a treasure of diverse responses. Things our staff jotted down and sent to me in a hurry, and things they thought about as they went to bed at night.
If you read our magazine and blog, you know that our families, children, and motherhood are significant in our subject matter. Motherhood is literary because it runs on love, similar to our writing endeavors. Of course we, every one of us, are thankful every day for our fam’s. They put up with us when we, staring at our computer screens with puzzled looks, or typing away speedily on our keyboards, yell “One more minute!!!”
To say that we are grateful for them, well, it needs no saying. What does need saying are the other things that may get lost, or never be said if you end that pleasant but brief conversation with someone when you are really about to get to now them. That point in a dialogue when someone is about to reveal something that you were meant to hear, that tidbit of information that will stick with you for reasons you can't explain, that hook in someone's true-life story. I believe that the best material and most substance is in what’s not obviously stated, so I asked what everyone is thankful for in addition to their families.
Here is what I got...
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I'm thankful for central heating on chilly days. For neighbors who clip swags of rosemary from the bush in my yard and return the favor with caramel popcorn for my kids. For underpaid, over-worked, yet still-smiling inner city public school teachers. I'm thankful for public transportation and clean city-funded playgrounds. For curly-haired children who screech on the curvy slide. I'm thankful for locally-owned movie theaters with vintage organs played by elderly gentlemen before the show starts. For small, stinky, independent booksellers. For jittery shots of coffee and hot pots of soup. I'm thankful for small, chubby grabs, for slender 6-year-old fingers, and for warm caresses from larger hands after the alarm rings each morning. For the gentle embrace of the universe each time I fall and its nudge in the right direction each time I ask for grace.
Robin Dutton-Cookston
Senior Editor and Columnist, MaMaZina (Formerly Mom Writer's Literary Magazine)
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I'm thankful for Star Trek which will be quite obvious after my blog post.
I'm thankful for my quirky creative girls who are always a changing cast of characters from one day to the next. You'd never know their mother was a writer. ; )
Veronica Hosking
Poetry Editor, MaMaZina
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In our family we have a "Gratitude Tree," which is today just a brown paper
cut out of a tree on a bulletin board. Back in 2003 when I started this, it
was an actual (faux) potted tree on which we hung leaves. On the leaves we
(or I, before my kids could read or write) wrote what we are grateful for. I
have all of our original leaves on the bulletin-board tree now, as well as
many from friends who have stopped in (I keep leaves and markers and
pushpins handy). It is interesting to see how the leaves have changed
throughout the years, but some things stay the same. We have multiples of
"home," "family," "friends," "God," "food" and "love." I am always thankful
for my job, too, and so many other wonderful blessings in my life.
My mother passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at this time last year and
one thing I learned from her which manifested itself through that experience
is that you can still find plenty to be grateful for, even in times of great
sorrow or adversity.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Caroline B. Poser, Author
Columnist, MaMaZina
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I'm thankful for the amazing women I've met through the blogging community! And chocolate.
Mary McCarthy (@marymac)
blog: Pajamas and Coffee
Natural Mama Editor, MaMaZina
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As some of you may already know, this year has been especially rough for us
(me and my family) because we lost Rudy's mother in August and in early
November we found out that my dad has prostate cancer. In keeping with what
Caroline just said in her email...it is important in times of struggle to
find things to be thankful for. I am thankful for modern medicine which
allowed us to spend 10 days in the ICU with my mother-in-law, saying proper
Goodbyes and preparing ourselves for her inevitable death from an
incurable, degenerative disease...I am also thankful for modern medicine
which is currently indicating that with hormone therapy and radiation
therapy, my wonderful, active, 74-year-old dad will most likely be able to
rid his body of this cancer and remain with us for several more years.
Lucie Bouchard Antoniazzi
Columnist, MaMaZina
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1. Nobody loves me like my mom does. This love which springs straight from her soul is the nearest I will ever get to perfection until I die. Last week one of my brothers was visiting my parents when I arrived. After my mom’s greeting to me he remarked, “Gee, I never get that response.” No. No one does. Just me. And I love it.
2. For an instant each Sunday morning, a friend who sings in the church choir grabs my attention with a smile that bull’s eyes straight through to my flak-jacketed heart. And I smile back wholeheartedly.
3. In today’s e-mail from a friend – her last sentence, and I quote, “Hang in there with your family of men – that is why you are crazy, you know.” It is true. Undeniably true. Five men versus one me has affected me in more ways than I’ll ever fully understand. However, lately, one son in particular, can zero in on my mood, and give me exactly what I need. We are on the same wavelength. And if only for snippets, every so often, I crave that momentary soul mate.
4. And then there are my friends who never let me down. The constants to whom I may complain or brag, laugh or scream. It doesn’t matter. Like God, they love me—warts and all.
Maureen Locher
Copyeditor, MaMaZina
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I am thankful God loves me.
In 2000 I went into renal failure after being diagnosed with Lupus.
Nine girlfriends and family members underwent testing to see if they might be a match for a much needed kidney transplant.
The closest match came from my oldest girlfriend, Pam. We met in church when we were 12 years old.
We were Girl Scouts together, sang in the choir together and belonged to the church youth group together.
Now we're bonded in even deeper ways than words can say.
November 30th marks nine years with Pam's kidney in my side.
I am thankful for many things, and have been blessed with much, but more than anything else, I wake up everyday and feel genuine gratitude for the fact that God is all around and blesses us with miracles great and small.
Joy Rose
Co-Founder and Publisher, MaMaZina
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I'm THANKFUL for my healthy children. I count my blessings everyday. I'm also THANKFUL for
my business partner Joy Rose and my entire team at MaMaZina Magazine! MOMS ROCK!
Paula Schmitt
Co-Founder and Director, Mamazina
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Right now I am looking around my house at all of of our Hanukkah decorations that are up. First night of Hanukkah this year is December 11 and we celebrate the holiday for eight nights. And while that seems like a lot of nights to see everyone, once you begin to begin to fill in the dates on the calendar, it's almost impossible to fit it all in. To have so many wonderful friends that we want to spend this holiday season with, for that I am grateful.
Happy Holidays to everyone.
Kathy Schlaeger
Reviews Editor, MaMaZina
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When it comes to being thankful, I of course hit the big ones. My health, my kids, my husband, his job, my job, my home, my family.
I would be crazy not to recognize all of these great things in my life.
But as much as life as big and grandiose, it's also small and everyday. And when it comes to being thankful, I'd like to take time to recognize a few of the tiny things that have made me exclaim "thank Goodness!" over the past few days.
- My son's birthday presents came on time. Thank you, mail serivce.
- We barely made our connecting flight in Atlanta. Thank you, universal delays.
- My sore throat was not strep. Thank you, non-strep bacteria.
- My baby slept in the other day and I drank a cup of coffee while it was still warm. Thank you, cozy warm blankets.
And the list goes on... anti-wrinkle anti-blemish cream, 24-hour commercial free cartoons, free shipping, the good parking spot at the grocery store, cashing in a free coffee coupon on a day when fate knew I needed the large. I don't want to forget the little things that make me smile, because we need those little smiles every day of the year.
Karrie McAllister
Webmaster and Columnist, MaMaZina
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I couldn't think of 1 thing that meant so much to me besides my family and I was unhappy with the challenges that I have had throughout the passed 3 years. Then on Sunday I went to the Sacred Center Church, in NYC. It's a place that I have wanted to go for years. Between having my children back to back and challenges alone the way I forgot about me. A big part of me was always reflected through my inner spirit.
Being in tuned with myself and my higher power had always kept me grounded. I feel so thankful this Thanksgiving for going to Sacred Center- It's the beginning of me re-connecting with my spirit and soul. There was 2 beautiful passages that I heard on Sunday; I AM, it was a breathtaking meditation with an amazing choir singing I AM glorious and the other passage was," Where is the road that I have lost to lead me back."
Before going to Sacred Center I felt I was missing something, that I had lost a part of me. I realized that it's all inside of me-I just stopped tuning in to my inner guidance. I am so thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving to all,
Marta
Marta Calero
Hispanic Writer/Editor, MaMaZina
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Me, hmmmmmm. I am thankful for the things throughout each day that make my heart stop, beat faster, or steadily. I am thankful for my stocked pantry, the way my favorite pillow knows how to curl just right under my head, volunteer lavender plants and my year-round, fragrant basil and lemon verbena. I am thankful for the last (two) minute tenacity of Philip Rivers, my worn-in, comfie brown boots and the night sky. I am thankful for my community, the crowds that show up to cheer on their kids, and I wish this for every child in the world. I am thankful for my team. I’d be lost without them.
Samantha Gianulis
Editor-in-Chief, MaMaZina
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!
Nice post,
This is a very inspiring post about what you are thankful of,
Anyway, thanks for the post
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