Snowdays and Thankful Hearts!

So it turns out that everyone on the east coast minus the state of Pennsylvania had a snow day today. Maybe it's because we're tougher than the rest....or maybe it's because we're dumber...I'll leave it to all of you to decide...

Anyway, the point is, it's snowing. And I'm here. And with the exception of one class being canceled due to the professor's distance and a rather glum overall office mood, it's a regular day. I've decided, though, that it's time to turn our frowns upside down! And what better way to do that than with thanks? There's a proverb that reads "A thankful heart is a happy heart," and since being thankful is relatively under our control, we might as well make our hearts as happy as possible! I will therefore now list some things for which to be grateful. Ready...set...here we go!

1. Those people we know in our lives who are always smiling. They're few and far between, and they're precious blessings! Sometimes a smile is just what I need!
2. That there are so many different KINDS of smiles...the reassuring ones, the sly ones, the goofy ones, the confused ones, the joyful ones...the list goes on and on and it's just faaabulous.
3. Hot tea. Enough said. Well actually, I could say a little more. Hot tea in various delicious flavors, enjoyed most when accompanied by a choice piece of literature...
4. When the snow first starts, and it sort of falls lightly on our eyelashes and our hair and it's just so beautiful it makes you want to recite "Walking by Woods on a Snowy Evening" or some other beautiful piece of poetry!
5. The promise of spring! The Mid-Atlantic states sometimes receive less credit than they deserve for hosting substantive versions of all four seasons. Take THAT, Floridians and Alaskans all! We support change around these parts!
6. Having people to walk with us in snowy, icy weather. Anna Lee walked with me to the Au Bon Pain for soup today, and having her there made me confident that if I fell, at least there'd be someone to help me up
7. Having things to look forward to. In addition to the weeks-away promise of spring, I also have things to be excited about in the short term...tonight, for example, my roommates and I are having a "bachelorette Bachelor" party...as in bachelorettes watching "The Bachelor" on TV...in dresses, with quality food and libations. Obviously, I'm excited!
8. Exercise...and endorphins...and the fact that the former causes the release of the latter and then we feel happy and energized!
9. Getting to sleep in for an extra half hour because you did the whole shower thing the night before. This is seriously exciting.
10. Feeling calm. I haven't felt very calm lately (there's so much silly nonsense to unnecessarily worry about!), so I've come to appreciate moments of peace all the more!

Ten's a good stopping point, but there are hundreds and hundreds of other blessings for which we can be grateful! So don't fret, snowbunnies! Be cheerful and keep those hearts happy!