On Gratitude

Stressful times have a way of making me forget important things. Like blogging. And being thankful for, oh, so many things. And I realize it's a cop-out to say "I'm grateful for everything" - naming the specifics is the exercise in being thankful; it is the point. I mean, to be sure I'm NOT grateful for my acne problem, or for having 4 major assignments due back to back. Also not for the municipal government in Jakarta who wants to cut down 900 trees around my family's neighborhood to make room for a dedicated bus lane.

All that to say, here's some things I'm very very grateful for, especially recently:

• Washer & Dryer in my apartment.
• Free 15-minute massage on campus at end of semester.
  
• RG and SG - who keep me sane by having sushi and Pho with me on a regular basis.
  
• Facebook. Oh yes.
  
• My own laptop.
  
• MAR - for kickin' my butt when I needed it. It's a wonder that you do that via e-mails!
  
• SS - for introducing me to Real Ultimate Power, and for Heroes discussions.
• And speaking of: Heroes, Season 2!
  
• Julian of Norwich - for having lived and written stuff.
• J - for being my boyfriend. 'Cos it can't be easy!
  
• The scenic tram ride from my place to campus. This is a beautiful city.
  
• Amos Lee, The Swell Season, Beirut, Over the Rhine, Ben Harper, Vivaldi, Yo Yo Ma, Tchaikovsky, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone - for the soundtrack.
• Mosaic and Mars Hill podcasts - for the free meals and the challenge.
  
• My housemate B - for dark chocolate and cheap wine.
  

And the award goes to: TODAY. Today I can ditch the sweater and just wear a t-shirt because it's sunny and 26 degrees. Maybe today I will make a new friend or help a person out. Maybe today I'll finish the first draft of my second essay. Maybe today Jakarta will decide to not cut down those trees. Possibilities.

Have a great today.