Metal Meredith

The Tradition Continues

I told my mom I would rather write my list of three things instead of just listing them. It�s easy to come up with three things. Never was there the �Most Thankful� things or the �Top three (letterman style) things you were thankful for�. It was just, simply Three Things you are thankful for.

Posing this to anyone who is unimaginative, overly sentimental or lazy, you will get the three most typical; health, family, food/shelter (time running a close 4th, but no one thinks of this too often). Much like last year, I will not bore you with those three. Anyone who has them and isn�t thankful for them is kind of a goober. Anyway, it is just no fun. It would like me being thankful for air and water.

I will start my list with the politically correct thing. I am thankful for my Freedom. This year, as in any where we have an election of some sort, I start realizing that my one voice can make a difference. After learning more about what women did to gain the right to vote, I can tell you that I will never miss my chance to have my vote counted again. This, of course, goes hand in hand with my freedom to say what I want (which I do often), have rights over my own body and medical care (which I will continue to fight for) and right to marry who I want (which I will continue to fight for in an effort to include all humans.) I love to know that even if my candidate doesn�t win, I tried. I made an effort and stood up to be counted.

For those that don�t use this, you have been warned that I will be riding you from now on.

Secondly, I am thankful for the chance to share my favorite experience ever with my two closest friends. Kym and I took a weekend off not long ago and went to see my favorite band. Ronni and I will be doing the same thing in the next two weeks. Both of these women have been in my life for over 10 years now. Sometimes we talk daily, sometimes not for months. Never in all that time did I worry that we wouldn�t speak again, that our friendship would suffer. Kym knew me long before I was a fianc�, wife and mother. Ronni has known me since I met Phil, but has been closer to me than most people in those 9 years.

They know me better than most. They have known me skinny and fat, long hair and short, pre-tattoos and all-black-clothing. We are all married now. We all have different jobs, lives and goals. They keep me sane, make me happy and accommodate my life with a child even though they have none of their own. But most of all, they listen, they don�t judge and they genuinely want to share their life with me.

Third but not least, I am thankful for Phil. I know, I know, I said no family. But let me explain. Phil and I will celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary in January. But to me, it seems like forever (sometimes in a good way, other not-so-much.) Over this past year, Phil has created his own company. He has come into his own as a father of a 2 year old that thinks he is the greatest giant toy in the world. He makes all the money, some times more than others, yet has never told me so. He works all week, but never complains. He makes me ice cream, buys me fire logs and comes up to bed with me at night just to help me get the bed just right.

Listening to other women and couples talk about their spouses, I know I am so fortunate to like him as much as I do, in addition to loving him. He has been really patient while I go through my most recent 14 year old crush on a rock star. He is thoughtful when it counts, he is attentive when I need him. He listens when it is important and occasionally, even when its not. I like him a lot and don�t have enough words to say how thankful I am for him.

In addition to these big things, I thought I might make another list of all the other important things, albeit, not as dramatic:

Air Conditioning
Hair Dye
Ice Cream
Baby Cribs
Dishwasher
iPod Mini
Mascara
Vivienne�s Blanket
Noggin
Arrested Development and Lost
Ikea
Old Navy Lounge Pants
Fuzzy Slippers
NPR
Preschool
French Fries