17 Things I'm Thankful For

Happy American Thanksgiving everyone!

Here in Canada, we're working and eating zero turkey.  So I'm in no way thankful for that.  But I thought I'd do a cheesy post in honour of the American holiday that I'm not celebrating.  Because it's NaBloPoMo, and I will take ideas for posts anywhere I can find them.

This year, I'm thankful for:

  1.  The approaching weekend and the ability to sleep in.
  2.  Friends who have babies, so that I can cuddle them and give them back.
  3.  Taking myself out to dinner at a really tasty Ethiopian restaurant.  For $13.  With leftovers.
  4.  My best friends, Ben and Jerry, with whom I'll be spending some time after I finish this post.
  5.  My two hairy beasts, who think the best thing is cuddling with me on the couch. 

  6.  Taking a six-month hiatus from dating, thus postponing the horror of online dating sites.
  7.  My almost clutter-free apartment.
  8.  The fact that my mother is usually not as annoying as she was last night.
  9.  Almost an entire calendar year in the black!
  10.  My introversion, which makes being alone after a breakup kind of awesome.  (Sometimes.)
  11.  Picking up three more books from my favourite library.
  12.  Ivan Coyote.
  13.  My really warm winter coat, which makes Canada even better.
  14.  Universal healthcare (also something that makes Canada better).
  15.  A work trip that will take me to Paris in the Spring.
  16.  Duolingo for helping me learn to say "Une table pour une personne, s'il vous plaît".
  17.  Wine.

What are you thankful for this year?

Hope

When I watch the election coverage coming out of the States, I am left fearing that the world is becoming an increasingly intolerant and hate-filled place.  This morning, however, I had a brief glimmer of hope that maybe things are actually getting better.  One of my friends, an open lesbian who is married to another woman, got ordained as a pastor this morning.  Surrounded by representatives from multiple Christian denominations and multiple churches, she was welcomed not only into life in the church, but into life as one of its leaders.  To the best of my knowledge, she is the first openly gay pastor within her denomination in Canada. 

Her denomination is not one that is commonly associated with progressiveness or open-mindedness, and I know that her journey to this point hasn't been an easy one.  There were people who resisted her advancement at multiple steps, and I suspect that there are people who will leave her congregation because they can't see past their bigotry to how fortunate they are to have her as their pastor.  For the people who remain, even the ones who are hesitant to be led by a lesbian, my hope is that they will see how utterly ordinary her relationship with her wife is.  The genders may be different, but they experience the same love and companionship and struggle of any heterosexual couple.  Different on the surface, but fundamentally the same underneath.

I hope too that Americans will come to their senses and not vote a dickhead for POTUS.

In the Gloaming

Given the recent end of my long-term relationship, you probably won't be too surprised to hear that my emotional state has been a bit volatile as of late.  One moment I'm feeling excited by the freedom and possibility that being single brings; the next moment I'm overwhelmed by sadness at everything that has been lost.  While I have still managed to do all of the things that I need to, getting through the days hasn't always felt great.

Tonight though, things were momentarily really good.  I had to bring my bike home from my ex-girlfriend's parents' house, where I had stored it over the winter, and I just happened to do so right at dusk.  The temperature was warm enough to be comfortable but cool enough that I didn't break a sweat; the air was still; and the clear sky transformed from pale blue to pink to indigo as I rode the bike home.  My out of shape muscles enjoyed being challenged, and my constantly busy mind reveled in being able to shift down a few gears.  It was as close to perfect as life ever gets.

I have gotten through the past few weeks by constantly reminding myself that things will get better.  Tonight though, if only for a brief moment, things already were.

My Favourite Sound

With the weekend drawing to a close, the girlfriend and I are relaxing by spending some quiet time together on the couch.  I'm sitting with my laptop on...well...my lap, and she is reading the book The Language of Baklava.  In the background, last night's wedding song, You Are The Best Thing, is playing on YouTube.

As I struggle to find something from my utterly ordinary day to write about, every few minutes my girlfriend breaks out in laughter at something she has read.  I love when she reads funny books, because her spontaneous laughter is one of the best sounds in the world.  Pure happiness.

I am lucky.