The point of the holiday is supposed to be to remember the things in our lives we have to be thankful for. And normally I’m all over that. But I would be lying if I said that everything is wonderful and I have great hopes for the future. And I know that I am hardly the only person struggling to remember that the world is full of good things as well as all the crazy, awful, and so forth that we’re all enduring right now.

So, here are things I’m thankful for:

• my smart, sweet, sexy, super capable, long-suffering husband
• coffee
• the many cute birds that visit my bird feeder every day
• purple
• sci fi books that tell of wonderful futures
• people who help other people
• flowers
• people who make art
• science
• my crazy, sometimes infuriating relatives who probably find me even more bewildering than I ever do them
• not having to spend the holiday with (especially) the most infuriating relatives this year
• cocktails
• people who love
• radio and wireless technologies
• kittens and puppies and tigers and otters
• books
• stuffing
• music
• the many almost magical computing devices that I can now wear on my wrist, carry in my pocket, and otherwise bring a wealth of information and possibilities that was only barely imaginable when I was a kid
• all my wonderful friends—who are talented, kind, giving, and clearly the most patient people in the world, because they put up with me

Thank you, each and every one. And whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving or not, I hope you have a wonderful day full of blessings, because you deserve it