What I'm Really Thankful For This Year

There's a polite version of gratitude that people post online

this time of year. And then there's the real kind.

The kind builders whisper to themselves when no one is watching,

Wiping the dust off their boots and their spirit at the same time.

This year, I'm thankful for things that didn't come wrapped in ribbon.

I'm thankful for resilience.

Not the inspirational-poster kind, but the kind earned the hard way.

The kind that shows up after plans fall apart and you're left sweeping the floor of what you thought your life would look like. That resilience.

I'm thankful for clarity.

The sort that arrives slowly, like morning light crawling across a jobsite after a long night.

Clarity that doesn't shout. Clarity that tells you what stays, what goes, and what no longer deserves the oxygen of your attention. Simple Clarity!

I'm thankful for craft.

Not just the ability to build things, but the discipline of shaping yourself in the process.

The quiet satisfaction of knowing your hands, your mind, and your name still mean something. The Craft of the self.

I'm thankful for second chances.

Because life is generous like that if you're willing to meet it halfway. Some doors didn't open the first time. Some I wasn't ready for. This year gave me a few chances to try again with a better footing.

I'm thankful for the courage to pivot.

To change direction when the world tilts. To trust that "unfinished" doesn't mean "lost."

A pivot is a prayer. A quiet vow to keep moving even when the map doesn't match the terrain.

And I'm thankful for the people who didn't walk away.

The ones who stayed when seasons got rough. The ones who believed when I was figuring out how to believe in myself again. Loyalty is a rare stone. I know exactly who kept me standing.

That's my list.

Not glamorous. Not superficial

Just honest.

Field Note: 

Gratitude is not a shout. It is the soft ground beneath your feet when the world has tested your balance.

HAPPY THANKS GIVING!