Thank You Notes

Thank you Notes.

Because my mother raised me to write them and send them.
But, times being what they are, I don't often get around to writing thank you notes.
Nor do I, when it comes right down to it, remember to say thank you for the day-to-day kindnesses that are the hallmark of this little holiday I enjoy so much.
And so, in honor of turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce everywhere, here are the who and what I'm thankful for this year:

To My Family of Origin~

You make me crazy.

This is a good thing, don't worry. I prefer crazy over normal any day. I learned early on, however, that stories of our...er...unique childhood adventures (cough::cough::christmas program::cough::cough) were best saved for holiday reminiscing than pulling out in public over drinks. Without your support over the past few years I don't know where I'd be. Family first. Always.

To My Girls~

If I could choose my family. It would be you.

So deeply ingrained in the fabric of my life; I can't imagine it without you. You are the rocks I break myself against time and time again. You are my support and my home. You are my first line of defense against the insanity in this world. And without our weekly emails, dinners, desserts, pitch-ins, Saturday adventures, V-day boycotts, day trips, brunches, pizza parties, etc. I would surely be a puddle of goo on the floor long long ago.

S~

Thank you for your steadfastness. I stand in awe, daily, at your strength and innate calm in the face of challenges. You have always been a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, arms to hug (and to deliver Flying Cupcakes with!). You are my small harbor in the face of a storm. I don't know what I'd do without you.

K~

Thank you for your laughter. I know that at any minute of any day, I can dial your number and be smiling within seconds. You have a unique viewpoint on life and constantly offer reassurance that things are never so dire as they might, at first, seem. You attack your job with a passion that puts mine to shame. You love and protect with a ferocity that I would never want to cross.

J~

Thank you for your smile. Nothing in this world can ever be so bad if you are around. You are one of my earliest childhood memories. You are a princess. You always saw the world for what it could be, for the good innate to it. You have always brought out the best in those around you, and it is what so draws people to you, for just a glimpse at what they could be...I like myself when I am around you.

B~
Miles and miles separate us these days, but it doesn't seem to matter. You were always the friend that, no matter the distance or time separating us, we could always pick right back up where we left off. Your enthusiasm for life and capacity to love have always humbled me. You have so much to give, and I am thankful both that I am on the receiving end of that, and that you remain so much in my life, even from Florida.

To The Munchkins~

I love you. Momma would, occasionally like to see the back of the bathroom door, or take a longer-than-5-minute shower before the small coup in the living room turns into all-out war. But overall you're good kids. You are, in point of fact, the best thing I've ever done.

Isabelle~

Your intelligence awes me. I forget sometimes that you are just a six-year-old. Your eyes hold the light of wisdom far beyond your years. And, while your mouth has recently caught up to this imagined age, I realize that your confidence in speaking your mind is what I want for you when you are 16, 21, 30, and yes, even six. I promise that if, in the future and the impending teenage years (because I know, sweet jesus I know they are coming) I seem harsh it is because I see in you a well of potential waiting to be tapped. And I want so many good things for you. So many.

Sebastian~
Your creativity stuns me daily. Whether you're painting, drawing, coloring, staging multi-toy-genre-battles in the living room or cooking up some scheme to get both your sisters in trouble, while looking like a perfect angel on the surface; you keep me on my toes. You are fiercely loyal to your sisters, and I have secretly witnessed your defense of them to others on more than one occasion. I could not ask for a better man of the house.

Sophia~

Your confidence....hm...yes...let's call it confidence, is astounding. At three you are ready to take on the world, and I want even a fraction of your bravery to carry over into my day-to-day. You are fearless. You are fiery. Some days I want to be three-years-old again just so you can by my best friend and we can have adventures.

D~

You are often my source of confidence and encouragement whether you know it or not. Your strength and honesty and innate goodness, no matter how much of an asshole you'd like to act on occasion, inspires hope in me that not all men are as horrible as I at one point thought. You are quietly kind and awkwardly supportive when I am a mess; which is often, much to my general chagrin. You love your son with a ferocity that dims everything else before it. You are protective of your friends and family in a way that I can only hope to imitate. You are generous to a fault. . You ground me. Your friendship and presence in my life this past year cannot be summed up in one paragraph, so I won't attempt it. But you are lazy Sunday mornings and breakfast sandwiches and comfort personified. You make my heart race, and you feel like home.

That burst of creativity that inevitably follows a week of insomnia~

I simultaneously give thanks for, and loathe you from my very core. I would not be so productive without you, but often I wish creativity could follow swiftly on the heels of a good nap instead.

IndyMojo.com~

Where or where would I be without you? You were this shining beacon of societal acceptance that arrived on the scene just when I thought I might go mad. You allowed my to be myself when I desperately needed to be. You offered a glimpse of family. A dysfunctional, pass the gravy and guilt-trip at Thanksgiving sort of family...but a family nonetheless. And I wouldn't have it any other way. You fill a niche that no one else can in this city. You are a social networking site that is truly social. You allow me to foster new friendships and build on old ones. You allow me to try my hand at charity and sports and art and music. You give and give and so often I forget to say thank you. So, Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. The friendships that I have won through you are some of my most treasured. IndyMojo is home to artists, athletes, writers, students, professionals, hippies and right-wingers, movie lovers and musicians. It has something for everyone. To each and every one of you that call IndyMojo a part of your life in some way, shape, or form, thank you too. You make the site what it is today, a living, breathing thing capable of bringing joy into someone's life. Please don't lose sight of that.

Naps~

I miss you. I am thankful for the once- or twice-a-month occasions we get to visit... We should do that again more often. Please?

Gez~

Absence, heart, fonder, etc. Thank you for being there even when neither of us can really be there at all lately. True friends are rare. And I am grateful to have you in my life for these past years. I expect this presence to continue on indefinitely, just so you know. You are an amazing father. You are a talented writer. You are a good friend. You do not, in my opinion, give yourself enough credit for the good you do.

B & A~

Falling right on the fence between new friend and friendcrush you both personify the best of the best. The creme de la creme if you will. They say that you surround yourself with those people who you respect and who you would like to imitate in life. Nowhere is this more true than with you two of late. B: I am constantly awed by your creativity and strength. I have been where you are, and it can be a terrifying place. You seem to come through every day with grace, a smile, and a better cocktail recipe than me. A: You never fail to make me smile. Your friendships speak volumes about your character, and the hordes of people lucky enough to count you as a friend speak for themselves. You bring a sparkle (pun totes intended) to the lives of those around you. And you exhibit the outward (if not always inner, much to my consternation) confidence that is the mark of a true beauty. I am grateful for our burgeoning friendships. More than I may let on...

Pie~

You are warm. You are gooey. You are perfection in ready-slice portions. I love your pumpkin, creme, chocolate, merangue, banana, cherry... I love you with ice cream. I love you with whipped cream. I love you with a slice of warmed over sharp cheddar when you are apple.