I am thankful for…

for the husband
who is on the sofa, being a couch potato
because he is home with me, and not out at the bars;

for the teenager
who is complaining about doing the dishes, because s/he is at home,
and not on the streets;

for the taxes I pay
because it means,
I am employed;

for the mess to clean after a party
because it means I have
been surrounded by friends;

for the clothes that fit a little too snug
because it means,
I have enough to eat;

for the shadow that watches me work
because it means,
I am out in the sunshine;

for the lawn that needs moving, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing
because it means I have a home;

for all the complaining I hear about the government
because it means
we have freedom of speech;

for the lady behind in me in church
that sings off key, because it means
I can still hear;

for the pile of laundry and ironing
because it means
I have clothes to wear;

for the weariness and aching muscles at the end of each day
because it means I have been
capable of working hard;

for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours
because it means
I am alive.