Countdown: Day 19, Thankful

I am grateful for being able to open the door and walk out into our backyard at any time of the day and night.

I am grateful for being able to pluck a persimmon off our tree, wipe it on my sweater, and munch on it as I wander around the backyard looking for forgotten things that put together will become something else. 

I am grateful for the Husband being the main dishwasher and coffee maker.

I am grateful that we are able to afford the utility bill so we can turn on the heater during the chilly season.

I am grateful that Daddy took the risk to sign a work contract with the Hawaiian sugar plantations and then decided to stay in Hawaii for a bit more (about 18 years) after his contract was over.

I am grateful that Daddy chose to become a U.S. citizen when the government offered it to him and many other Filipinos who were serving in the U.S. military during WWII.

I am grateful that Mama said “yes” to Daddy’s proposal of marriage and said “yes” to moving to the United States where working for wages as a field irrigator and fruit pruner was better than farming their own land in postwar Philippines.

I am grateful for Older Brother showing me when we were youngsters that I can participate in any school activity I wanted, particularly writing for the school paper.

I am grateful that longtime friend Ace said (not in these exact words) when we were high school sophomores, “Wouldn’t it be great if you made a living as a writer?” Until that moment, I had no idea that was a possibility.

I am grateful that Winifred took a chance to hire me for an assistant editor position and taught me all that goes into being a writer and book editor.

I am grateful to Pat, Caren, Mark, Kathy, Jim, and other editors for Chicago and New York publishers who, sight unseen, took a chance and contracted me to write books based on my outlines. 

I am grateful that the Husband and I decided to leave the San Francisco area and move in with Mama in my hometown, despite the long and tough adjustment of us, three ornery, independent individuals getting along. 

I am grateful that feral cat  El Gato came into our lives for a few weeks because that led to us meeting Molly the Cat who magically cut the tension among her humans.

I am grateful that the Husband and I have such wonderful, joyful, kind, and loving friends and cousins. 

And, I am grateful for hope and dreams. 

Peace, Happiness, and Love to you all, Dear Readers.