gratitude...again

A few things I'm grateful for (and the first item should probably be my roommate Laura's posts of things she's grateful for, because that made me start paying more attention to these things).

- long walks with my iPod

- birds that look like leaves on the ends of tree branches

- leaves that look like birds on the ends of tree branches

- bluegrass/folk-inspired music 

- hearing my name spoken by a friend or loved one, and realizing that I am known

- salvation army bell ringers who add their own flair to the affair

(I'm thinking of two in particular...one in Crown Center turned her bell-ringing into a catchy little rhythmic dance; another outside HyVee brought a music stand and his trumpet.  I love how they offered their unique gifts, even though it made them a little bit more vulnerable.  They made me so happy.)

- my roommate Stacey's depth and strength of caring (and her up-front opinions on my clothing choices :))

- my roommate Laura's effortless enjoyment of almost anything around her 

- a coworker who came into work with genuine good spirits every day last week, even though nothing was going right, and offered sincere gratitude for any bit of help she received

- my cushy bed

- toasted orchard bread with butter on top for breakfast

- moments of clarity

- that certain things escape words and yet are full of meaning.

- grace.