Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, a few quiet days to pause and reflect. It’s so easy to get caught up day-to-day in the things that are “wrong” in our lives – or the things we want that we don’t have; and such a relief to find the perspective that Thanksgiving brings, of the absolute abundance we have for which to be grateful. Especially when so many others around the world are struggling just to put food in their bellies at all.

I am thankful for my very stressful new job that keeps me challenged and provides well for my family. And I am thankful for the amazing yoga teachers that help me breathe my way through it and occasionally sleep at night.

I am thankful for a black dog that cries like a baby when my two stepdaughters come home from college for the holiday. And I am thankful that they come home for the holiday, and that they are the wonderful people they are.

I am thankful for the love of my husband, who has the patience of a saint and a heart of pure gold.

I am overwhelmingly thankful for my beautiful, curly-haired little boy, Griffin, who loves me a million-trillion-gabillion (which is a lot), and reminds me every day to laugh more.

I am thankful for my 85-year-old father, and the fact that he is still with us on Earth. Even though he is far away (Florida), his spirit comforts and encourages me. I am thankful for my mom, who is no longer with us on Earth, but gave me the gift of being here to enjoy all of this.

I am thankful for the rest of my family: my two deeply sarcastic-and-entertaining brothers, with whom I wish I was closer. My two sisters-in-law whom I love and wish were really my sisters. My awesome niece and nephew, who grew up way too fast.

Right now, I am thankful for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, the barking dog next door, the dog hair tumbleweeds on the floor, the heaping pile of toys in the living room, and all of the things that so often annoy me, because they are all abundance.

On a lighter note, I am thankful for good coffee, dark chocolate, J. Crew, guacamole, Mexico, finally trying kayaking this year, and looking forward to trying kiteboarding next year, come hell or high water.

I’m thankful for new friends and colleagues, like you, from whom I learn so much and who make life so much richer.

People like Danny Brown, from whom I heard about #tweetsgiving. Check out his great post,  Gratitude is Simply Attitude. Most important, please visit the Epic Change Tweetsgiving site and donate what you can to help some kids in Tanzania get a new school. It’s one thing to be grateful, and it’s another thing altogether to do what you can, however small, to help others who need something for which to be thankful. Epic Change is doing great work, and I am thankful that people like them exist to make the world an even more joyous place. Happy #Tweetsgiving to you and yours.

How about you? Have you stopped to think about it lately? What are you thankful for?