thankful moments

so much for daily moments of thanks, so here's some from the past few days that i can recall from my very full brain:

--i am thankful for living in a place where hiking trails and the "beach" are only minutes away.  walking for 30 min on a semi-snowy path and stepping out onto a rocky coastline while the sun is setting and reflecting off the beautiful pacific ocean is awe-inspiring.

--i am thankful for 9 year old swimmers who love their coach and buy her raffle tickets for the team's annual raffle drawing.  i didn't win anything (grand prize is 2 tickets for a caribbean cruise), but the thoughtfulness is heartwarming - especially since NO other kid even asked if i wanted to buy any!

--i am thankful for 7 year olds who offered me a strawberry cupcake  from her birthday party. and who write you a thank-you note for the thank-you note you wrote her!

--i am thankful for wonderful bosses who encourage my further education and try to supplement it by asking the SpEd department if i can join them on a trip to denver for a conference this spring...even if i don't get to go, the thought is exciting and i am now a member of the organization so i can utilize their archives for schoolwork if needed (and the SpEd dept is paying for my membership, score!)

--i am thankful that even though my joints are starting to get a little creaky, i am still able to swim and swim hard.  also thankful for a coach who pushes me to do better, even if it's annoying sometimes (ok, most of the time)

--i am thankful that even though i spent waaaaay too much money during black friday and cyber monday sales, i will not be homeless and bankrupt any time soon.  granted i'm not saving money as well as i should be, but i plan on changing that soon.  semi-related: i'm thankful for having a roof over my head and food on my table, even if that means i still live with my parents.  it could always be worse...

--i am thankful for having a good reputation in this town; having house- and pet-sitting gigs and proctoring SATs/ACTs and coaching swimmers keeps me more than busy, but knowing that people appreciate the work i do and would recommend me to others is humbling.  and the little bit of side money doesn't hurt anything, even if it means less relaxation & sleep time

--i am thankful for the experiences i've had, good and bad.  tonight, my current teammate/former coach brought up an ex-best friend from high school & college.  i hadn't thought of her much in the past couple of years, but realized tonight that it's been about 5 years since we've talked and been friends.  it's unfortunate the way things worked out, but i don't regret any of it as the experience helped me break my shell and led me down the path of education - even though i didn't realize it at the time.  to all those i've loved and lost, thank you for making me into a stronger person.  to all those who still have my back, you have no idea how much i appreciate your friendship!

--i am thankful that i live in a community full of generous, kind-hearted, creative people.  each winter arts faire, i am amazed at all the talent that this small island contains.  it's inspiring, and i can't wait until i have more time on my hands to get artsy