I AM THANKFUL FOR . . . . . . the mess to clean up after a party, because it means I have been surrounded by friends. . . . the taxes I pay, because it means that I'm employed. . . . the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have enough to eat. . . . my shadow who watches me work, because it means I am out in the sunshine. . . . the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot, because it means I am capable of walking. . . . all the complaining I hear about our government, because it means we have freedom of speech. . . . that lady behind me in church who sings off key, because it means that I can hear. . . . the piles of laundry and ironing, because it means my loved ones are nearby. . . . the lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing, because it means I have a home. . . . my sometimes huge heating bill, because it means that I am warm. . . . weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it means that I have been productive. . . . the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means that I am alive.