In times like these...

be thankful.

That's not to say that I am not upset my laptop crashed (AGAIN) and salvaging the hard drive is not really how I want to spend part of my holiday weekend. Time that I could be spending working on the house or tromping through a salvage yard looking for a new alternator for the Whatchamacallit taking photos while Keith looks for a new alternator for the Whatchamacallit.

But see, I am thankful that I even have a computer in the first place.
And thankful that I can pay someone, even on my limited income, to get my valuables off the hard drive.

I'm thankful for such a loving and generous husband who puts up with me and even humors me most of the time. He's more than I could ask for in a partner and someone I am really actually glad to see when he wakes me up in the morning. (Also, I am thankful he lets the dogs out in the morning and sends Mia back to bed with me.)

And while working on some parts of the Tiny House is getting tedious and I wish it would just be done already, I am thankful that my husband and I are able to collaborate on a project of this magnitude without getting divorced or punching each other in the face. Building a house from scratch with nary a blueprint or professional anything in sight is no small task.

And I will be oh so thankful when we can actually move into the Tiny House and have our own (maybe claustrophobic) space.

Which reminds me to be thankful for my parents. Parents who would allow their adult children to come back and live in their home, rent-free, while building a permanent (although small) structure on their land. And all the while putting up with having their space invaded, literally and figuratively. Surely these people deserve an award.

I am thankful for my sister who makes me laugh and always has a funny story to tell-- usually she's the hapless victim of the stories (ask her about her recent concussion). And that we always have a good time when we're together--she's picking up some supplies so we can make crafty things when she's home this week!

I am thankful for my dogs, who provide an unending source of laughter and love (and warmth in bed). And that they've taught us how loving and affectionate pit bulls can be. Breaking down the stereotype one licky face at a time.

I am thankful for my job. It doesn't pay a lot, but it's steady work and I really enjoy it. With the local mill (where my mom has worked for over 20 years!) shutting down indefinitely and the town losing its largest employer, things aren't looking good for a lot of people in our little town right now. We're lucky that we have some food in our pantry and a fairly low cost of living, but that doesn't mean things won't be hard.

I am thankful for the Tofurky I found on sale last weekend because it will make delicious sandwiches for the weekend and I plan to eat with abandon and hope that the future economic hard times will be my circumstance-imposed diet plan (eating beans and rice all winter?). Either that or I'll have to scrape up a gym membership fee.

Being thankful doesn't mean ignoring injustice or forgetting hardships, but it does mean appreciating what you do have and realizing that so many people have so much less.

I am not fleeing my homeland under threat of rebels, like they are in Congo.
I am not homeless and hungry after a landslide, like 45,000 in Brazil.
I am not a journalist kidnapped in Somalia.

We all have our own struggles and if you can try to remember that in your daily dealings with people, it will make your interactions a little more rewarding. Give someone the benefit of the doubt and be thankful.