Being Grateful - Nov 12th

 

This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.



Nov. 12th:

This morning I was mentally reviewing the long list of things I hoped to get done today (Why, oh why is there never enough time?) when it occurred to me that I am very thankful for a healthy brain that collects and stores a vast amount of information. It is a blessing to have functioning brain cells! 

The miracle is that our brains act much like computers, taking in information, storing it, and then retrieving it at some later date. Have you ever stopped to consider how many facts you recall in a single day? How many memories pop up from the past? How many items you can recall without a shopping list? True, our brains don’t function at 100%, but it is still amazing how various memories resurface at the slightest trigger. 

A song brings up images of my high school prom. A phrase sends me back to a bitter divorce. A smell takes me to the bakery where I decorated cakes while working my way through college. A bowling alley makes me smile recalling my first kiss. Happy memories bring joy. Unhappy ones are lessons learned. All of them make for life experiences that shape who we are—that are shaping who I am. Thank goodness for a brain that stores both short-term and long-term memories.

 November 13th

Being Grateful - Nov 11th

 

This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.



Nov. 11th:

I am grateful for the ability to choose. It is Veteran’s Day, a day to thank those who served to protect our country and our valuable freedoms… like the right to choose. 

Yes, I can hardly imagine how awful it would be to lose the right to make choices about my own life, things like what occupation to pursue, which religion to practice, what I believe or don't believe, whether to speak out or remain silent, how I want to live my life and so forth. Making choices is a precious blessing that I try not to take for granted, yet it is easy to think it will never be taken away. 

I know how dangerous it is to neglect appreciation for our rights and liberties, for the choices we are granted. I am thankful for them. And I am forever thankful for those who have fought to protect our right to choose.

 November 12th

Being Grateful - Nov 10th

 

This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.



Nov. 10th:

Today at work I was receiving packages, and I paused to admire a very sturdy, square box. The cardboard was thicker and more durable than typical shipping boxes, which enabled it to travel well across the states… unlike a great many thinner cardboard boxes that arrive banged and dented each week. I was contemplating snagging this impressive box for home use (It would be perfect for storing the ridiculous number of extension cords I own) when the thought crossed my mind that boxes are a really nice thing to have around. 

It’s hard to imagine a room without a box because there are so many uses for them. Along with shipping and freight boxes, there are storage boxes that pile up neatly in closets, sheds, and on shelves. Decorate a few boxes with ribbon and glitter to create beautiful gift packaging. Give bigger boxes to imaginative youngsters and watch how they invent forts, castles, cars, boats, and all sorts of other fun. Cats love to hide inside them. Dogs love to sleep in them. Throw some soil and seeds in a few small boxes and they become planters. Use boxes for moving, for keeping organized, for crafting… these wonderful cardboard rectangles have so many uses! 

I will admit I take them for granted (I bet you do too) but I am very thankful for the variety of boxes I utilize daily.

 November 11th

Being Grateful - Nov 9th

 

This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.



Nov. 9th:

It’s getting colder outside. Today the sky was grey, threatening snow, which got me thinking about the need for snow tires… which got me dreading the possibility of ice on the roads soon… which naturally (or not) got me to thinking about friction. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I am really grateful for friction.

 

Whether you appreciate it or not, there are great advantages to friction. It enables the wheels of my car to move forward and not slip on the road. It enables me to walk for the same reason. Friction makes the brakes work so my car comes to a stop—you ought to be thankful for that! Friction allows me to stack my books high (books I intend to read someday) and keeps them from easily slipping off the pile. Friction allows me to write my notes on a piece of paper before typing up the final draft.

 

If you think about it, there are a lot of benefits to friction: it generates heat, burns up asteroids in the atmosphere, slows down runaway carts, etc. The world would be a different place without it, that’s for sure. I am indeed grateful for the benefits of friction.

 November 10th

Being Grateful - Nov 8th

 

This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.



Nov. 8th:

I am grateful for vowels. Yes, vowels.

Have you ever thought about the difficulties that would arise if you were incapable of making the / a / e / i / o / u / sounds? Singing would be nearly impossible.   Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do   Try singing that without vowels! This fact hit me while watching The Tabernacle Choir on television. 

I was admiring their lovely harmony when it occurred to me that every sustained note was on a vowel. Every single one! After I attempted to sing a sustained consonant, I realized it was near impossible with most, and it was very unnatural with those consonants I managed to hold for a few long seconds. 

Vowels make music beautiful. They make language beautiful and simple to form in the mouth. Communication is soooo much easier and pleasant because of vowels. I never really thought about it before, but I am definitely grateful for vowels.

 November 9th

Being Grateful - Nov 7th

 

This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.



Nov. 7th:

Did you know that if you had $10,000 you could trade it in for a million pennies? I know, right? Why would you want to? I mean, a penny is only worth 1/100th of a dollar. We tend not to notice them anymore, even when a handful are scattered on the ground. Why bother breaking your back to retrieve one? Well, let me tell you why. 

Regardless of a penny’s monetary worth, I am actually grateful for the coin. Yes, I usually take the time to stoop down and pick one up. I started doing this regularly after hearing a comment that, in my eyes, shone a bright light on their greater worth. 

"A penny’s value is in what it represents more than in the candy it can buy." 

I doubt a single penny can be exchanged for any amount of candy these days, yet it is valued by me. I read the words printed on the face—In God We Trust. This maxim is a reminder of the principles and beliefs our country was founded upon. It is a reminder of my own faith in a living, loving God. 

Finding a penny has become a good-luck charm of sorts, like finding a four-leaf clover, because it makes me stop and think about the things of real worth in life: things like faith, integrity, relationships, gratitude, happiness, friends, and family. Like the penny, these things may not have high monetary value yet they are priceless in intrinsic worth. And though I cannot take a penny or a dime or a dollar with me when I pass from this life to the next, I do believe I will take these other precious gifts with me if I am found in possession of them here and now. Pennies remind me of this, and for that I am grateful.

November 8th 

Being Grateful - Nov 6th

 

This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.



Nov 6th:

I was recently watching a cartoon about a teenage vampire. The show pointed out how to identify vampires—you simply look for their reflection in a mirror because they won’t have one. In this particular episode, however, the teenage vampire was surprised to view her reflection for the first time by aid of a special dark mirror. (Turns out it was cursed.) Nonetheless, she became fascinated by her pretty face, thrilled to glimpse her mirror-image for the very first time. It made me think. 

How strange would it be to live for years and years yet never see myself? How differently would humanity behave if there were no means by which we could see our own reflections? Would cosmetics still be popular? And who would apply the face paint for us? Would we trust them to do a good job without a way to personally judge the end-result? It’s sort of entertaining to think about. Yes, one could easily argue that vanity would shrink if reflections were not a thing. Still, I am grateful for mirrors. I am grateful I can see my own, unique reflection. (Whew… not a vampire.)

November 7th 

November 6th

Being Grateful - Nov 5th

 

This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.


Nov 5th:

You know how it sounds when the house is quiet? Kids, spouse, pets, visitors all departed, leaving you the only soul at home. Television and radio off. Technology and appliances unplugged. Life at a standstill, inside and out. 

This silence isn’t inaudible but deeply hushed. Tiny clicks. Mild creaks. Gentle, steady tick-tocks. A tranquil hum sings in the air so soft and serene it lulls you in whispers, soothing to the ear. It is the sound of peace. It is the sound of relaxing quiet. I am thankful for moments flooded with this sweet sound.

November 6th 

November 6th

Being Grateful - Nov 4th

 

This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.


Nov 4th:

Today I was breathing. You too?

It’s funny how we inhale and exhale roughly 20,000 times each day without considering how miraculous and vital this automatic process is. It got me thinking about air and how grateful I am for it. Not just because it provides oxygen that maintains human consciousness… and ultimately life, but air performs other jobs—critical jobs—for which I am grateful. 

Air carries carbon dioxide to plants that in turn create oxygen for humans and animals to breathe. (Nice dependent bond there.) Air also holds tiny particles that attract and accumulate water droplets, allowing rainclouds to form. Air moves fast and far, which allows winds to move rainclouds inland, bringing water to drier lands. The wind carries living organisms from place to place. It keeps pollutants from building up and stagnating. The Earth’s atmosphere provides a form of insulation that keeps the planet from getting excessively cold or hot. It also provides the ozone that helps to protect life from the harmful effects of too much sunlight. 

Though I scarcely stop to think about the air around me, I am truly grateful for how it aids and protects life on Earth.

November 5th 

 

Being Grateful - Nov 3rd

 

This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.



Nov 3rd:

I am grateful for hellos. Every language around the world has its own way to say it—from hola, hallo, bonjour, dia dhuit, sveiki, xin chào… to… សួស្តី, வணக்கம், Здрастуйте, and many other versions of the same friendly welcome. 

Hello is a universally peaceful form of acknowledgement. It is an effective tool for painting smiles on human lips. It is a magic word that warms the hearts of recipients. I appreciate hellos. 

The word is often taken for granted, yet put to use multiple times a day as we seek to gain the attention of others and start up friendly conversations or just make someone feel welcomed and accepted. Uttering a simple “hello” is the best way to begin new friendships. I am grateful for this well-used and underappreciated word.

 November 4th

Being Grateful - Nov 2nd

 

It is the first day of November, a month of change and transition. A month in which many people celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving. It is a time that usually includes pondering personal blessings deserving of gratitude. I was thinking about the concept of gratitude when it occurred to me there are blessings I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss yet scarcely give much thought. My goal this November is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.

Nov. 2nd:

I am grateful for the natural ability to grow calluses. When I was a child, I spent a lot of time outside, running around barefoot in the yard, through the garden, and down the road. My heels and toes grew thick calluses to protect my feet from the abrasive edges of rocks, fallen branches, and other potentially hurtful debris. I ran across them without a second thought. It never hurt because of the thickness of the skin underlining my feet.

  

During a short period of my middle-school years, I took up playing the guitar. It was difficult to play at first because it hurt my tender fingers. Again, natural calluses developed to protect my fingers from pain. As a result, playing the guitar became easier.

 

I am thankful for another type of callus that develops as a result of pain and friction, one not physical but emotional (perhaps spiritual) in nature. It forms around the mind and heart when criticism, ridicule, scorn, gossip and such abrasive behaviors are forced on a human being. These calluses help protect a person, making the endurance of malice less painful. They are a blessing of safety and refuge. I am thankful that both types of calluses exist.

November 3rd 

Being Grateful - Nov 1st

 

It is the first day of November, a month of change and transition. A month in which many people celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving. It is a time that usually includes pondering personal blessings deserving of gratitude. I was thinking about the concept of gratitude when it occurred to me there are blessings I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss yet scarcely give much thought. My goal this November is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.

Nov. 1st:

I am grateful for the ability to stop and start most anything at will. It seems an odd thought, perhaps, yet consider how awful it would be to lack the capacity to start a behavior or end a behavior when you wanted very much to do so.

 

Imagine whistling without the power to cease until someone closed your mouth. Or gripping a pencil but lacking the power to write until someone pinched your hand. More relatable examples might be these: the ability to start a new life; the ability to stop a harmful habit; the ability to start a new talent; the ability to stop a hurtful rumor; the ability to start a friendship; the ability to stop a biased tradition.

 

I am grateful that I can start new things I deem worthy of my energy and attention while at the same time possess the power to put a stop to unwanted behaviors. It is a blessing of agency, strength, and courage. And I am indeed grateful for it.

 

November 2nd

I Hit 300 Likes!

     Today was a milestone day for me. I discovered that my most-popular quote on Goodreads.com hit 300 likes! It's my first quote to cross the 300 mark! Take a look below. 

     Yes, yes, I'm tickled pink about it. I love little triumphs; they keep me going. You should know that this accomplishment didn't happen overnight. It was back in October of 2012 that the above quote was posted on Goodreads. That was nearly six years ago! The point is, it often takes time for the "likes" to add up and for accumulated efforts to pay off. Moral of the story: Never give up! 

Time Has Made Me Grateful

I was browsing through my old blog posts when I came across a post written four years ago at this same time of the holiday season. I had just self-published my first book with help from a third party. Feeling grateful, I had taken the time to make a list of the many small accomplishments experienced as a new Indie author.

Today, I look back at those initial joys and realize they have been added upon day-by-day. While I no longer use a third party to publish my books, I have gained tremendous knowledge over these four years enabling me to publish and illustrate my books as I see fit and at my own leisure. My talent for writing and illustrating has improved noticeably as I have worked at revising grammar and the written delivery of my stories. Looking back, comparing "then" and "now," I see I have much for which to be grateful.

Four years ago I noted that 40+ people had "liked" my most popular quote of 24 original quotes posted on Goodreads.com. Today 237+ people have "liked" my most popular quote (followed closely by 234 likes on my second most popular) of 1,000 original quotes now posted on Goodreads.

Four years ago I noted that 8+ people considered my writing good enough to call themselves a fan or follower. Today, 149+ people follow me on goodreads.com

Four years ago I noted that I had 12+ followers on Twitter. That number has jumped to 823+ Twitter followers as of today.

Four years ago I noted signing 45+ copies of my 1 published book. Today I have 7 published books available in paperback, and I have signed copies in the hundreds. (I no longer keep accurate track of the amount signed.)

Four years ago I penned this quote:

"Remember this - the journey is part of the dream. Whatever it is you're chasing, so long as you are actively moving in the right direction, the dream is coming true."

This truth still stands. I can see by greater numbers and improved talent and more, loyal followers that I am actively moving in the right direction. My dream is slowly coming true.

I feel immensely thankful for the opportunity to author books and poetry, to illustrate and then self-publish my works. It is a wondrous blessing extended to all writers in this age. Needless to say, I am looking forward with wide eyes, hoping for even greater accomplishments in 2017. Thank you sincerely to all who have helped in every small way to support this humble American author.
Happy New Year to all!

I am Grateful

     Here I am, sitting with my feet up, slippers on, relishing one of the few quiet Thanksgiving days I have had in life. I find myself feeling grateful for a low-key, peaceful holiday. Not that I don't appreciate time with my family and friends, for I love them dearly, but it feels like ages since I have been able to put on the brakes and "chill" as my boys would say. In the warmth and comfort of my house, I am grateful to hear the soft hum of a refrigerator underlining the quiet. A quiet that will not last for long.

     It is good to count blessings on Thanksgiving. It is a healthy habit to count blessings every day of the year, and so I would like to share a few things I am most grateful for.
First would be the blessing of prayer and the opportunity it affords me to speak to my Heavenly Father at any time and in any circumstance. I cannot imagine wading through life's trials without leaning on Him.

     Next, I am grateful to have experienced the immense joy of motherhood. I have never felt love as powerful and consuming as that of a mother's love for her children. I am happy to have been blessed to give birth to my beautiful angels, a joy I would not trade for anything.

     I am immensely grateful for family, for this divinely instituted unit of humans bound by blood and/or vows to support and love and uphold each other. It is insane and yet wondrous how a family unit works; despite squabbles, clashing preferences, and differences of opinion, when the storm clouds roll in, it is family first we turn to and rely on. It is family who loves us regardless and often stands up to bullies in our defense. I am thankful for the Master's glue that binds families forever.

     In this same vein, I must say how grateful I feel toward my husband for his noticeable efforts in being thoughtful, kind, and a helpful presence in our home. I appreciate his efforts, often biting his lip to keep the peace when I have had a bad day. Thank you for that.

     I am grateful for the daydreaming reader who loves to pretend and fantasize about incredible, impossible things. And I am thankful for every stolen moment I can use for scribbling out my poetry and stories. I am grateful to those who purchase my books, whether for their own entertainment or as a gift to others, thus supporting my dreams and allowing me more precious time to write.

     I am grateful for enchanting stories by talented authors. Their tales are my ticket to experience fantastical worlds and incredible lives. The creativity abounding in these tales inevitably enhances my own.

     I am grateful for those who take the time to give a kind word to others. I cherish the thoughtful emails and comments I have received, usually about something I have written that has touched a heart or helped buoy a despondent spirit. I keep these printed, kind remarks in a box to remind me that words are powerful to the soul; what I write makes a difference.

     I am grateful for purpose and goals. For a world of rich diversity. For landscapes as vast and beautiful and contrasting as the people who possess this earth. I am grateful that my list of things to be grateful for is too extensive to write out in one sitting.

     And so I will leave you with these thoughts and a word of advice. Find much to be grateful for in every day. Doing so will not only enrich your life, it will bless those around you in ways you may never know.
From me to you, Happy Thanksgiving.

― Richelle E. Goodrich

By Virtue of Thanksgiving

Oh what marvels fill me with thanksgiving!

The deep mahogany of a leaf once green. The feathered fronds of tiny icicles coating every twig and branch in a wintry landscape. The feel of goosebumps thawing after endured frozen temperatures. Both hands clamped around a hot mug of herbal tea. The aromatic whiff of mint under my nose. The stir of emotion from a child's cry for mommy. A gift of love detached of strings. Spotted lilies collecting raindrops in a cupped clump of petals. The vibrant mélange of colors on butterfly wings. The milky luster of a single pearl. Rainbows reflecting off iridescence bubbles. Awe-struck silence evoked by any form of beauty.

Avocado flecks in your eyes.

Warm hands on my face.
Sweetness on the tongue.

The harmony of voices.

An answered prayer.

A pink balloon.

A caress.

A smile.

More.

These have become my treasures by virtue of thanksgiving.

  

Gratitude is Medicine

My New Year's Eve was the worst ever.
I felt like the crud under cow herder's shoes, having cried my fair share of tears the past few days. My husband was seriously hurt in a car accident―a wreck that kept him in the hospital for five days, me at his side.  It was wrong; it was just wrong.  For crying in the night, he's the seasoned emergency responder who saves other people in car wrecks!

Life is so not fair. I have been repeating these words as if the fact were some profound epiphany.  This whole thing sucks lemons.  And so for New Year's Eve, all I could think about was how awful, how dreadful 2015 was destined to be.

It seems traditionally we bring in every new year with eager optimism, making grand goals, having great expectations that excite us to action from day one.  We stand at the threshold, hopeful.  But this year, day one kindled no such hope or excitement for me, only a bleak sigh at the unavoidable uphill climb ahead.

It's easy to stew in a pot of "woe is me"―a salty stock made from my own tears.  Nearly lost his life. Stapled and stitched together, his mobility hampered by injury. Bedrest, the doctors say. No work. An active guy forced to stop and wait for bones and flesh to heal.

What a dismal way to start off the new year.  Life is so not fair.

January 1st, the sun rose as always. My spirits did not. I got up and went about helping my husband to carefully rise and strap on a sturdy back brace. Pain killers are administered every four hours; it hurts otherwise. He paused to thank me for my help, for my aid and assistance throughout the past hard week. This John Wayne of a man thanked me with tears in his eyes. I felt a warm ray of sunlight in my chest at his expression of gratitude, and I too was grateful. I was grateful to hear him say those words to me; he does not say them often.

I was affected by feelings of gratitude amid tragedy. The idea made me contemplate how we have things in this situation to be grateful for:

• Survival.  A rear-end collision at 50-60 mph managed to crumple his truck like an aluminum can, but my husband survived.
• No one was in the truck with him―no child crushed in the back seat.
• His injuries, though painful and timely to heal, are expected to mend.  He was nearly killed, but not.  He was nearly paralyzed, but not.
• A great many friends and family have reached out to support us.  They have stopped by for unexpected visits at the hospital and at home, offered words of encouragement over the phone, posted kind sentiments on Facebook, brought meals to us, offered assistance at any time of the day, held us firmly with hugs, whispered earnest prayers―all of it a heartwarming reminder that friends make every bit of difference in life.
• We have learned that laughter is a better painkiller than any narcotic.
• At the hospital, I crossed paths with many a stranger who proved to me that kindness and compassion are still strong in the world.  I also realized that misfortune is a shared truth; everyone has an emotional, true story to tell.

Ironic that I should learn to greater appreciate my own quote:

"Gratitude is medicine for a heart devastated by tragedy.  If you can only be thankful for the blue sky, then do so." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year

My eyes still sting with tears, and weariness lingers in my bones, but I have decided that a year beginning with an uphill challenge has the potential to reap more rewards than I first thought.  Perhaps 2015 will be a year of improved health, closer friendships, greater wisdom... and a new truck.

I Am Thankful

It's Thanksgiving Day and I've eaten waaaay too much... again. The turkey, potatoes, gravy, dressing, sweet yams, homemade rolls-it was all delicious.  Well worth the hour of bloated misery afterward.  But as wonderful as our traditional spread always is, the turkey and tempting trimmings aren't my main draw to this holiday.  I like that Thanksgiving is a day of opportunity to give sincere thanks.  I enjoy taking time to really contemplate the many things I have--the abundance of blessings I enjoy.  And today I've done just that.  Here is my list of ten things I'm genuinely thankful for.  It barely scrapes the surface.

1.  The chance to be Mom.  There was a time I thought I would never get to hear someone call me "Mommy," until three great boys blessed my life. Now I get to hear "Mom!" all the time--spoken, whined, grumbled, and even yelled across the house.

2.  The opportunity to pray.  I learned to talk to God when I was little, and I've done so daily all my life. Things I can't tell anyone else, I tell the Lord. He has become my best friend. 

3.  The phenomenal things done on a cell phone.  I can self-publish a book, take virtual tours, watch tv, communicate with anyone anywhere, pay bills, create music/photo albums, see my house from space, play chess with a stranger in Japan, check my heart rate and temp, Google info on any curious thought, and tons more!

4.  Having my parents nearby.  The years tend to teach us what a miraculous blessing it is to have parents who sacrifice so much (including moments of sanity) to raise you, who continually support your far-fetched goals, who listen to your complaints, and who would never ever consider forsaking you. Parents are golden. 

5.  The continual improvement of talents. I kept a copy of  my very first attempt at writing a novel. Reading it makes me groan (and sometimes laugh out loud.) Oh, how far my writing has come since then!  I can only imagine the progress in years to come.  I'm grateful for the fact--practice is improvement, and improvement only leads to perfection. I can see this truth in my artwork as well.

6.  Hot fudge sundaes. My new favorite treat is a smooth, sweet, tempting, mouthwatering, chocolatey, irresistible,  oh so yummy... uh, be right back.

7.  Family and friends.  Relationships make life richer.  Everyone needs a little love and attention—both given and received.

8.  The time and freedom to write my books.  I've learned to use moments wisely and not take time for granted, knowing small increments add up.  Word by word I write my novels.  They are my escape from life's burdens, a portal to new worlds and realities, a fresh change of scenery, a means to interact with my imaginary friends, and a real workout for my creative muscle.

9.  Good health and strength.  Truly, being well and whole and able are great blessings not to be taken for granted.  I love that I can walk, breathe freely, feel good, see to read, and type to write. 

10.  Learning new things.  It's incredible how much information exists at our fingertips nowadays. Want to know about something?  Just go online, search the topic, and see the mass material available!