Giving Thanks

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I traveled with my beau to visit my extended family in northern Minnesota. Yah sure, you betcha, I did! I didn't manage to get a single photo of any of them, but I did get this shot of my nuclear family at a park near where I grew up in the Twin Cities.

They are totally going to start a band and use this shot for their album.

Anyway, it made me all warm and fuzzy to be surrounded by people who share more of my DNA than the average person. This visit, I was able to look around at my relatives' faces, which I hadn't seen since last year's Thanksgiving dinner, and see little bits of me, my brother, my parents, my ancestors. It's so cheeseball, but it made me feel as though I were a part of a larger group. I have peeps who share my face shape, allergies, memories... It's a good feeling.

Things I'm thankful for (a not-all-inclusive-list):
family
friends
babies
five senses
the ability to walk/run/climb/dance
talent
a good job
the opportunity to have a good education
music
carob (even though it's not nearly as good as chocolate)
a warm home, which happens to be under rent control
rainy days
cheese
vacations
good humor
enough food
a capacity for empathy
sunshine
art
Bryan