The Monday Muse: Thanksgiving Edition

Thanksgiving arrives this week. In honor of the holiday, I'm celebrating my complaints.

My car is 165,000 miles old, neither of the front locks work (we get in by crawling through the trunk -- seriously), and last summer a bottle of sunblock exploded on the top of the roof, leaving permanent marks that look like bird crap.

My car runs like new, is fully paid off, and has never let me down.

I'm ten pounds heavier than I was two years ago, and I can't seem to get the extra weight off, in spite of all the hiking and walking and salad picking.

My family has plenty of food and we do not need to worry about where our next meal is coming from. I am healthy and able to do the outdoor activities I love. I am strong enough to carry gear for both girls, the dog, and myself on 18 mile mountain hikes...in spite of my growing spare tire.

I can't cook worth a damn; anything that goes into the oven comes out either burnt or partially cooked.

The girls are happy with whatever I can manage to make, they are well-fed and strong, and they are both joyfully learning how to cook on their own (perhaps out of a sense of self-preservation...).

My border terrier has no sense of recall and probably never will (it's a breed thing). He will therefore always be on a leash when outside.

His chances of tangling with dangerous wildlife, getting lost, or being hit by a car are zero.

The girls and I never have enough time to do everything we want to do.

Our lives are interesting and full, and the words "I'm bored" have never left either of my girls' lips.

We do not have the money for expensive or trendy presents.

We have enough for what we need and, with very careful planning and a willingness to utilize campgrounds instead of hotels, we have enough to travel.

I haven't gone clothes shopping for myself in months, and my pre-child, fashionable wardrobe has been replaced by stereotypical Momwear (elastic waistbands, anyone?).

I have all the clothes I need to keep me warm and dry.

This week I'll join the other zillion people on the road and sit in traffic for multiple hours to get to where I want to go for the holidays.

Both my parents are healthy and doing well, and their doors are always open to me (not just on Thanksgiving).

I could go on, but you get the idea.

Your turn.

Each and every time you complain this week, acknowledge the flip side...and be thankful.