This year, I must say I am feeling especially lucky. I don't know what it is -- there is just something in the universe that's hugging me right now. 

And I was trying to make a mental list of all the many things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving, and there are a LOT. Clearly, I am a very. lucky. girl.

Then I put a new spin on it. I put myself in my former shoes - myself as a child or teenager - and thought again about what I was thankful for. 

 

Little Me

Here are a few things I came up with...

• Facebook. I used to worry that one day, my friends and I would all go our seperate ways and I'd never talk to them again. Sometimes we know more than we need to (do I need a photo of your child's infected earlobe? No, I really don't.) but I use the ever-loving crap out of it. And if social media didn't exist, I'd probably be selling underwear at Nordstrom.

• Good skin. It's not perfect, but I've been pretty lucky. High school me would be THRILLED

• My job. I never thought I'd be thankful for that! Little me wanted to be a singer and actress. But big me loves what she does all the same and I get to participate in some pretty cool shit and meet some really awesome people. 

• Grandparents and Great-Grandparents. Because you don't become aware of how rare those can be to adults until you are one. It was really something special growing up with four grandparents AND great-grandparents. I don't remember all of them, but I cherish the thought.

• Vacations with friends. I don't think a child ever understands that some day, you'll get to go out of town without mom and dad and how grown-up that really is. 

• Sleeping in. It's not like I never did it in high school -- in fact, I practically made a sport out of it -- but as a very busy adult, I appreciate sleep on a new level. So on the ocassional morning I do not have to be anywhere, you're likely to find me buried under the covers, shutting out the world and blisfully happy about it. 

• My teens. If, as a teen, you'd told me that some of my favorite people as an ADULT would be teens, I would have smacked you upside the head and been like "dude." But I cannot deny it -- I went away on a retreat last weekend with over 150 teens from across Southern California and while I'll grant you they are all amazing in their own, individual ways, I will also admit some of them are truly exceptional human beings and I adore them.

Oh, I'm thankful for the usual things. Family, friends, my health (as it is, I guess), being employed, french fries and my TiVo... 

But from adult-me to little-me, I offer an especially happy turkey-day. She had no idea how great things could be at age 33; what kinds of surprises would show up to play... 

And now, on this Thanksgiving, I say we drink lots of wine (WINE! Little me would TOTALLY want adult me to drink a lot of wine) and eat delicious food. :)