Thankful Again...

Day 15

I am Thankful for moonlight...

Shrouded in mystery, the Moon enchants me...

It can't cast its own light, but can only reflect what is around it. 

Even so, its silver glow in winter, soft white light on a summer night, 

and the orange glow of a Harvest Moon 

seep into our rooms and eyes, becoming the stuff of poems and legends.

It dances through tree branches and sparkles on the water...  

Sometimes moonlight is a harbinger of doom, and others it becomes the epitome of romance. 

When I stand on a beach in the dark of night, or on a mountaintop to look up into the starry skies, 

the presence of the moon is a comforting spirit that lights the way... 

a point on a compass that illuminates the way home, as I walk a path I cannot see. 

Light in the darkness is a gift... even when it is reflected light. 

We cannot always have light - life demands that darkness is given equal measure. 

In my darkest hours, I have friends in my life who reflect the light of Christ to me, 

and they guide me home to Him every step of my way.

For their own special kind of moonlight, I am thankful.
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Less thoughtful and more practical today:

Day..... what day are we on now? I've lost track....
oh, Day 16 (yesterday) and 17 (today).

I am Thankful for my legs and my arms.

They're still strong. They're still in good shape!
(due to hours and hours and hours and miles and miles
of marching and spinning flags back in high school, I am sure)
They allow me to lift and carry and walk and climb and reach
and do all the things I ask them to do.
They don't look half bad in heels, either!
They don't always do it without PAIN, mind you...

My feet... well, they try. 
And I AM thankful for them...
they are just a bit more fickle than my legs and arms are.

I guess if I treated them nicely
and put comfortable shoes on them when I am going to be standing on them all day, 
they would be nicer to ME....

photo taken in August, 2010 on the night of my 30th HS Reunion. 
[ Not bad for a Grandma! ]
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Day 18

I am Thankful for my brain.

Though it temporarily goes on the fritz at times, 
usually it's quite adept at learning new skills, figuring out complex situations, 
imagining amazing things, and conjuring up words in some semblance of order when I am writing.... 

I remember times in my life when I was quite simply unable to think clearly. 
I was in a fog, lost in darkness, or so busy struggling to survive 
that I could not think beautiful thoughts or be creative. 
For a person who thrives on imagination becoming real, that's scary... 
but my brain was resting, and eventually came back to work with all guns firing.

It's led me into learning HTML coding and graphics design. 
It's not been deterred by my fears, 
but determined to pull me forward into new areas of language and understanding. 
It's been a playground of ideas, and a director of visual feats of fantasy.

The ol' noggin' has stuck with me through thick and thin, 
even when I was knocked off balance and came very close to losing my grip on reality. 

And for that, I am very thankful.