"Forgive and forget, but don't forget why you're here"

Today I'm thankful that I was not in a time crunch when my work email draft disappeared into thin cyber-air. And I'm so thankful for copy and paste and a bit of short-term memory, as well as for autosave features in actual email platforms.

I'm thankful for hearing from and being re-inspired by old mentors.

Even though I would prefer to be in the tropicalia of Rio right now, purchasing an iced açaí at a juice bar for dinner and going out salsa dancing late, I praise God for rediscovering-old-worn-fuzzy-sweatshirt season.

I'm thankful that I (just like any of you) can make a difference in my political system. As much of a cynic as I can be, and as messed up as our system can be, I am grateful to have been able to talk to senators' trade staffers yesterday and see tangible progress and commitment after following up with them today. Personal conversations do matter, and you can call your legislators. If they are conflicted on an issue or need to know more about it, they may just want to hear their constituents care! They are supposed to represent us, after all.

I'm thankful that cleaning can include photo albuming (gotta do something with those stacks of photos that have been taking up floor space for hmm.... months?)!

I'm thankful for schotcheroos my aunt sent home with us from Thanksgiving. Despite the fact that they also represent a challenge to my fitness commitments.

And lastly, I've been blessed today by talking through some of the difficulties of this transition period today with my mama. We got to have the "You're not perfect, and neither am I" conversation. God calls us to be patient in love, which we can be so quick to forget with the ones with whom we spend much of our time, holding them to a higher standard than others. We are all shaped by our different natures, gifts, and experiences and therefore may react differently to challenges. We are human, and diversity is a part of that, even within blood relationships. But we are all trying to figure this whole life thing out, which is a gift and a curse, and we can all use a little more understanding. Especially in close quarters. Or you'll go crazy. But in all seriousness, we are not meant to understand each other all the time, and we are definitely not meant to agree with each other all the time. But we must try to see common humanity in each other, and in that common humanity, accept and forgive imperfection.