It’s easy to spend all of our time worrying about bad things happening in the world, ranting about stupid things people do, complaining about problems that plague us, and so forth. I feel especially bad doing that because a lot of things in my life are not just good, they’re wonderful. And it’s worthwhile to remember that. And not just remember it, but share it.

So, among the things I’m thankful for this year:

• My husband — sweet, kind, loving, smart, sexy, and way too awesome for the likes of me
• My friends — talented, entertaining, amazing, supportive, and inexplicably willing to put up with me
• purple, anything purple
• people who help other people
• books
• coffee
• people who sweat the details
• flowers
• people who make good art
• electricity
• people who love
• soy nog
• people who clean up after natural disasters
• rockets and satellites and space probes and all the cool things humans build to learn more about everything
• tigers
• people who make other people laugh
• otters
• my family, yes even the most crazy, because they’re part of what made me who I am, and I’m sure that I drive them just as crazy as they drive me
• people who make music
• my job
• people who don’t sweat the small stuff
• my wonderful, talented, hard-working, long-suffering, handsome husband (who absolutely deserves to be on this list more than once!)
• people who dance
• raspberries
• people who do science
• kittens, puppies, adorable pictures, and all the sweet goofy things in the world
• people who build things
• music
• technology that lets me carry my entire music library in my pocket, access the world’s libraries from the palm of my hand, read silly things people say halfway around the world, and complain about the most petty first world problems while standing in the checkout line at the grocery store
• people who care
• my extended chosen family, which yes overlaps with several other times on this list (not just the second)
• the crazy world of entertainment that gives us everything from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic to Ashe vs Evil Dead and everything in between
• readers
• sexy people (yes, including the cast of Magic Mike)
• my clever, patient husband who happens to be both an amazing computer resurrectionist and a damn good cook

Thank you, everyone who reads this. Where ever you are, whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving today or not, I hope your life has more blessings than tribulations. May you be surrounded by love and filled with joy—because you deserve it!