Today I am grateful for my leopard print onesie.
I am thankful that I have no classes to teach on campus, so I can skip the one-hour commute and work from home.
I am grateful that I have tenure, so that I do not have to attend the presidents annual holiday party for fear of harming my career by not showing up to shmooze.
I am grateful to my study partners, SM and SK, who keep me accountable for writing a little bit 2 days a week.
I am thankful for my mindfulness practice. Every time that I sit to observe my emotions and thoughts, I create a little more space to breathe.
I've been able to let go of many things that were burdening me from the past. Burning sage has helped me with this, as well as the practice of discarding or giving away material items that I no longer use. I am thankful that I have the capacity to learn to let things go.
I am thankful for the 4-year-old and 2-year-old boys in my life. Their faces and bodies change every time I see them. Seeing them learn new skills, new words, and making up new games is very nourishing for me, especially because my brother had a disability and was very slow to learn when we were kids. I am grateful to have a window into the development of nondisabled children, thanks to my friends.
As a recovering perfectionist, I notice that there are many typos in the above list. However, my disability has shown me that it's important to get the meaning across and not to waste time and energy on details that don't really matter. I am thankful that I have been able to let go of the need to present myself as being perfect, even to my colleagues. :-)
