the little things

I had a conversation with Kristen in the middle of the night, after Paul and Stuart had left, after I'd already started falling asleep, before either of us were really ready to let the day be over. It was about love and the different forms it takes and its lasting impact and everything about it. I'd been thinking about this for a couple minutes and said, in response to her question about loving someone, "Love starts, continues, and ends with the little things. When you stop loving the little things, you stop loving the person." I'm talking about when you start to hate the way he pops his fingers or can't stand the way he tilts his head to the side and back randomly, when you used to love these things. Or, if you never loved these things, maybe you never loved him. In the past four months, I've come to value every little thing in my life. Every little thing counts. So this Thanksgiving, I think I'll give thanks to the little things, as well as the big things in my life.

Thanks for:

-love
-smiles
-the feeling of the car heater when you've spent the last hour and a half outside on the dock, talking about absolutely nothing but absolutely everything.
-being woken up from a nap by Paul coming into my room and laying next to me on my bed.
-games of scrabble, boggle, twister, and trivial pursuit.
-people whose homes are always open
-words
-coffee in the morning after I've been up all night crying
-blueberry muffins
-kittens, no matter how much they are set on killing Kristen's bird for a snack
-kids movies
-the WHAT
-the availability of movies that you can make fun of
-expressions
-puns
-messages that contain simply <3
-random text messages that say something along the lines of you okay? How are things? Feeling better? I'm here if you need me.
-music
-the way when he thinks something is funny, or he makes a joke (usually at the expense of stuart or someone else, but only in a joking way, of course) he starts rubbing his hands together like he's trying to keep warm
-the way when he talks and he's trying to explain something he rolls his hand around like he's saying "Thank you for being here today" only in a less gentle manner
-the smell of a new suede coat
-breathing
-new haircuts
-bowling
-pocky (new discovery. I advise you not to purchase any because you WILL become addicted)
-practicing my piece for nfl until I can barely talk anymore
-pajama pants and hot chocolate on rainy days
-a clean room
-a playlist to fall asleep to every night
-"the sound of the stereo, the dim of the soft lights"
-music that simply makes me happy
-walks through the back roads of Hagley in the dark, praying a car doesn't come so we won't have to walk in the cold, wet grass
-the leech that is Rebecca as she walks around attached to me, or lays next to me on the couch
-groups of people that can just keep you smiling
-South Africans
-the sound of his heartbeat
-new doorknobs


I am thankful for such wonderful friends and hugs and anger when I need it.

I love you and I don't know what I would do without you. I'm thankful that you're doing okay, and you're getting better, and we're us again (as much as we can be when we're both so busy). I spent too much of my time missing you but that's all over now because you're here and I'm here.

I'm thankful that after all that's happened this year, the only thing it has done is make me a stronger person, more optimistic, and more thoughtful. I'm thankful that I have so many places to go if I ever need to get out. I'm thankful that no matter what I do, my friends still love me. I'm thankful that Ms D likes me, because apparently she never liked Amanda or Katlyn. :)

I love you all, and hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Heather