a prayer of thanks

Another year has come and gone and it is time again to reflect on all the fortune that fills our lives. For me, I was hoping for that granite counter top, maybe an extra coupla thousand square feet..an ass like Shakira, but I guess I will have to settle for a beautiful, healthy and vibrant family who just happen to be in the living room right now with their Chinese fans doing an impression of Mama having a hot flash. Aw..good times. It's nice that the matriarch of the Mags garners such respect.

The yummy smell of cinnamon fills the casa this morning and my dear friend is on his way south to gobble with us over the weekend. I love the jump start my battery gets from the anticipation of the holidays. It is fuel for the exciting New Year ahead and it humbles me at the rejuvenating power of love and laughter and how golden my life truly is....If this big ole world is a stage and I am a player, then I guess I'm covered head to toe in Armani and just won that Oscar I've always wanted. Not quite two years ago at this time, my husband was fighting to live and live he did. He came back to the children and wife who love him and I will never ever forget that profound experience, those who shared it with me and the shroud of protection that wrapped me and mine up like a warm Snuggie. Life is an amazing gift and I am thankful for its beautiful song. Here goes-

I am thankful for my mother and father who at almost 90 still grace us with their presence and love. They've served to inspire me with their commitment to each other, to their children, and I am who I am because of them. For my sister, who is walking a difficult journey with me right now..at my side..giving me courage when I need it, a soft shoulder to cry on and a glass of wine when I'm just looking for an excuse to self-medicate. I could not do it without you. To my niece and great-niece, I wish you all the love and sunshine your lives can hold. To my in-laws, I wish you joy always.

I am thankful for my friends. You are the jewels in my crown, the sparkle in my gold lame Samba costume if I had one..you're a light, a gift to me. We've noshed, drank, cried, prayed & laughed together and I'm grateful for every darn bit of it. You've encouraged & inspired me and told me to grow up and get a grip when I needed to hear it. If one is defined by the company they keep, then I got it goin' on 'cuz my posse rocks, ya'll!

I pray for the military men and women who are not at the dinner table today with the people who love them. I pray for their safety and their hearts to stay strong, their bodies upright and for their faith to lift them wherever they may go.

And most of all..I am thankful for my two little girls who show me how to laugh with abandon and love deeply. You are the light within me and with your love there is nothing I can not do. To my husband who busts his hump..bigtime..so that I may spend every minute I can with them, and for that teensy-weensy dose of Zoloft that keeps me from killing an innocent bystander.

I am lifting my glass to all of you readers and pray wholeheartedly that peace and happiness surround you during this holiday season. May all of the photos that will be taken of you today, occur when you're sober and have no spinach in your teeth.