As I walked home from class today I was thinking about Thanksgiving. Two short months from now everyone will be asking what I’m thankful for. I like to think about it a few months in advance so when the time comes I know what to say. So this day I took a mental note of something I am thankful for; rain.

I know that seems like a cliché thing to be thankful for but as I trod through the drizzle I could almost see the grass get greener. The trees seemed delighted. I’d like to say that these things make me thankful but I’d be lying. Rain makes my allergies go away. For the past month my nose has been stuffy and I have been sneezing all the time. Now I’m just sneezing from the cold I have. But my allergies are gone and I am thankful.

Thinking about rain got me thinking about the hoodie I was wearing. It’s large, green and made of corduroy and fleece. Its hood is big enough that with my hair up and wearing a bandana it covered my entire head and let me walk around without getting wet. I realized that without this hoodie I would not like the rain so much. So I added that to my list of things to be thankful for.

Of course I wouldn’t have this hoodie if it weren’t for my boyfriend. He made the hoodie himself and lent it to me because it’s nasty and cold out. He gets a place on my thankful list. For that matter, all of my friends get put on the list. Particularly Jess, my roommate. Without her, I literally would be homeless. Not in the sense I wouldn’t have a place to live, but rather a place where I feel comfortable and safe. For instance I opened this with “as I walked home”. Before moving in with Jess, I would have said “my dorm” or somesuch. I’m thankful for Zach, my friends and Jess but also now I have to add my room itself to the list. It’s cozy and warm and friendly. It’s a place I can go to just chill and relax.

As I entered my building I realized something. I have a ton to be thankful for: simple things like the rain, clothing and shelter, but also my family and friends. This may seem like an anticlimax. “Friends and family” is what everyone says. But I really just realized how truly thankful I am for them. Rule #32 Enjoy the little things. I don’t mean to say that friends and family are the little things but without them, the little things wouldn’t be enjoyable. Watching television, eating meals, dancing around in your nightgown, playing scrabble or monopoly (with credit cards!!!), or anything else you can think of; none of these things are fun to do alone.

So I close this with a thought: “If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you’re gunna see some serious shit.”