the beginning...

There are soooo many things to be thankful for each day, but sometimes the mind gets clouded and we spend more time and energy on things that don't really matter. My intention is to cultivate a deeper awareness of even more of these little things and events I appreciate, and allow the proper time for giving thanks to their existence, instead of the usual small acknowledgements. Sometimes these things will be serious, sometimes they will be extremely silly, sometimes they will not make sense to anyone but me, sometimes they will have details, and sometimes just a few words, but I think we need all these different kinds of things and experiences to be whole, not just one kind.

I hope that you will all share some of your blessings with me in the comment section. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

1. My Family I'm thankful to have chosen the parents I have, for the opportunities for learning and growth that they each present in my life, and my sister for the sharing of different perspectives. I am also extremely grateful to have a large wealth of cousins, uncles and aunts, who though sometimes far away in ways beyond just distance, show me the value of history and connections when things come together.

2. Cacao How on earth would I have ever been able to go raw without this beautiful superfood? Chocolate has always made me feel good, and knowing I can make a multitude of mousses, nutmilk ice creams, sauces, smoothies and even just a handful of nibs to munch on has made my transition oh so amazing.

3. Melissa G For helping me to remember to trust the universe and all its gifts when I was broken and had battle scars too deep into my heart from the broken trust of people who were supposed to help me in the past, but did not have the resources available to really provide the help I needed. And for introducing me to Lauri.

4. Lauri For always calling me on my shit, especially when I need it most. For saying the truths I already know inside out loud, so that I can't deny them and can bring an end to patterns and "rewire my nervous system" as Melissa says.

5. Briksha For inspiring this blog to exist in the first place by telling me about the 21 blessings one of his mandala yoga groups does.

6. San Francisco I give thanks to living here daily, out loud, in emails, and in thought a million times a day, so let's make it blog-official.

7. Hazelnut Milk Why drink milk from a cow when you can have this? Seriously! Yum.

8. Gmail Without which I might never find any of my emails, references, research, articles, and without which I might not be able to organize events so well.

9. Heirloom tomatoes A million different ways to make them, yet I still prefer them with fresh basil & olive oil.

10. Blogger For giving me an easy way to try to hold onto this discipline and share it with others.

11. Netflix Do I really need to explain this one?

12. Chai More spice in my life.

13. Charles & Ray Eames The kind of relationship I hope to someday have.

14. The rooftop garden at work For providing me with seclusion and sunshine so I can spend my lunch breaks reading in quiet.

15. Lavender One of my favorite smells.

16. Hayes Valley For being the most perfect neighborhood for me to dwell.

17. Working only 2.5 miles from home So I can walk home every day instead of being yet another one of the sardines stuffed into tin cans during rush hour.

18. Compost Bins For allowing me to reduce the amount of waste I put out into the landfill, and for making it possible to only take my trash out once a month.

19. For a lighter workload Only one of my bosses has been here at a time for the last 3-4 weeks, making life a lot less stressful and more focused and free.

20. That little request on Goodreads Because even though nothing was said, perhaps it means things will be ok between us in the future if we take the steps to make it right.

21. Amanda Even though we had to let go and go our separate ways, I still think about you all the time, and our friendship has had one of the most meaningful impacts on my life throughout the ages. Your beauty, search for knowledge of self, and creation of life as you want it to be have always been, and always will be an inspiration even when you're not in my life.