Thankful for Wrinkles, Popsicle Sticks, and a Tutor who Cares

Thanksgiving feels early this year but I’m most likely just behind. Sometimes, you can hear time passing in calendar pages flipping, a clock’s hands ticking, and the tearing of package wrappings containing new face creams that come in the mail promising to combat wrinkles. Although I lament my wrinkles and my ugly-yet-perfect-body, I’m thankful for them. I’m thankful for much.

For my sagging body, still strong enough to envelope-hug my son when he’s upset or pleased with a new accomplishment. For my legs that walk a boy and his dog to school and back each day. For my fingers knowing the keys on my laptop and remembering how to share thoughts of thankfulness, randomness, and all the in-betweens.

Each laugh line was earned and I’m grateful that the map of my face seems to show more smiles than frowns. I can’t stand them but remember that the wrinkles between my eyes are from all the thoughts I’ve thought, and they’re each mine.

I’m thankful to have found true friendship in the blogging world and in real life, too. For people I can call when being thankful for anything feels far away; buried beneath stress, a too-long to-do list, and worries over big things and small.

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“Mom, I love Nugget,” Tucker says. “I’m not lonely with her and her walk is so cute!” I’m so pleased we adopted a puppy and I love that her name is Nugget. That they got to play in the snow again this week, and that today it was sunny once again and almost 60 degrees.

Tucker’s been seeing a tutor once a week. Before Halloween, they made little monster heads on popsicle sticks with positive thoughts.

Thankful for Wrinkles, Popsicle Sticks, and a Tutor who Cares

This week, Tucker’s tutor and he talked about what they’re thankful for, and made sticks for that. We keep them in a glass on the table where he sits to do homework. They’re a good reminder, for all of us.

I, like Tucker, am thankful for air when California is choking, for my bed when people are fleeing to safety in a caravan, and for LIFE when the news breaks our hearts. I’m thankful for heat, cozy socks, and a warm puppy body to snuggle me on the sofa.

I’m thankful to be a mom to the world’s best boy, who is thankful for his mom (!!!) among other things.

I’m also thankful to you, for being here, sharing our lives with us and for you, sharing yours with us.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends. May you find more thankfulness than worry, more gratitude than grief, and more love than loneliness today and on all the days. <3

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This has been a Finish the Sentence Friday post brought to you by yours truly and my lovely co-host Kenya Johnson of Sporadically Yours. This week’s prompt is a five-minute stream of consciousness on “Thankful/Thanksgiving.” My five-minute timer went off but then I spent two more minutes adding some things. What can I say – I have much to be thankful for!

BONUS! I can’t resist not sharing this popsicle stick, because LIFE, right?