Thanks- it is such a small word

I was inspired to write this blog post from someone else who posted about a month ago about the things that they were thankful for.
I think all of us muddle along through life. We have hard times and good times and great times. We have times of contentment, resentment, fun, drudgery, working hard and playing. Sometimes we jump through hoops doing what we need to do. We have rules to follow, laws to obey, others to consider in our actions and decisions. We are complicated and can move from many emotions and activities in a short span of time. Some people have personalities that are brighter, some are darker. Some of us see life as what others are doing to them while still others see life as what they are going to do.
I could list off all the the quote unquote normal things to be thankful for- great family, friends, my job, education, living in the 21st century in the most technological time ever...and truly I am thankful for all of this but there is more.
I am a person that has the ability to learn and I truly love learning. I love to read and discovered libraries and sharing books very young. I have an appreciation for nature as well as other cultures. I am willing to try new things. I am creative in lots of different areas and that creativity comes fairly easily to me. I am mostly nonjudgmental, letting others live their lives so long as they let me live mine. I am a middle ground kind of gal- a peacemaker of sorts and that suits me very well. I have mellowed about lots of things through the years, knowing that I can never walk in someone else's shoes. Yes there is poverty, abuse, war, natural disaster, sickness, and many other ills that are an every day part of the human experience. I am not blind nor do I want to make light of the suffering of others. I am one of the lucky people on the planet that has life pretty good. For that, I am thankful.