Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. The reasons are pretty simple. We spend time with people we love. We take time to think about what we are grateful for. This makes us feel happy and good. I like being happy and feeling good, and I like it when the people around me are happy and feeling good too.
I also really like eating yummy food. And snowboarding. I'm grateful for snowboarding. It has become our family's tradition to go snowboarding/skiing every Thanksgiving. Actually now that I'm thinking about it, it has become our family's tradition to go snowboarding/skiing on just about every holiday that falls between mid November and June 1!
I do my best to think about what I am grateful for every day. Lately, it's been first thing in the morning, before the sun comes up as I groggily drag myself out of my warm snuggly bed after hitting the snooze button three times. I'm not a morning person by nature. I usually feel like I could sleep for hours more. When I think about how grateful I am just to be here, that excites me to start my day. And large amounts of coffee. I am very grateful for coffee.
Another thing I am grateful for is you!!!!! You who are reading this right now. Each and every one who has 'liked' my Facebook page, followed me on Twitter, looked at my Etsy store, joined my e-mail list and read my e-mails.
I am grateful to each person who has ever traded money for something I have created. For most people, this is trading your precious time. It all started with one person buying a few beads from a little dish that sat on our table in our apartment. I am grateful for each and every one.
I am grateful for each person who has ever come to my table or booth.Weather it was at my card table on the sidewalk in Port Townsend, a booth at a street fair, a Farmers or Saturday Market, a high end craft fair, or a shop or gallery. I'm grateful for each person who has taken the time to look, ask questions, give compliments and smiles. At times smiles and true appreciation mean more than money. I am even grateful, though it can be hard to hear, for criticisms.
I am grateful for my teachers. For workshops, classes, books, or just by the right person answering the right question at the right time. I am grateful for my students who are teachers too. Among other things, you have taught me how to teach.
I am grateful for each and every person and every thing that has helped me on my way to where I am right now.
All this gratitude makes me feel like giving something away. So, I am going to write each persons name who currently 'likes' my Facebook page (Larissa Spafford Designs) on a little piece of paper. I am going to put them all into this vase.
Then I am going to randomly choose a name and give something to that person. I'm going to do this once a month. Each time a new person 'likes' my page I will add their name too. I'm not sure when I will get everyones name added, but I will let you know when I do! I'm hoping to do this by Thanksgiving.
What are you grateful for?
