10 for 10 Gratitude Challenge {Number 1}

November is over, along with all the twenty-whatever days of gratitude I’ve seen many people doing on Facebook.  It’s cool, but I didn’t participate.  It’s just not my style.  In my mind I know I can come up with twenty-something things I’m thankful for, so it’s not much of a challenge.  Also, you’re running the risk of being borderline braggy.  I have a lot to be grateful for, but don’t want to imply that someone else’s life doesn’t measure up with mine.  You know what I mean—the “best husband ever” or “best family ever” claims.  Best ever?  This isn’t a competition, so there’s no need to compare.

Anyway, in Relief Society today they gave us a list of 10 prompts, each prompt asking to list 10 of something specific you’re grateful for.  I thought they were a pretty good list of questions that extend beyond the normal things you list off as being grateful for.  It’s more of a challenge.  So I’m going to do one list of ten for the first ten days of December.  Christmas overcrowds Thanksgiving all the time, so I’m fine with letting Thanksgiving take over ten days of December.  After all, it’s never too late to be grateful.

Write 10 physical abilities you are grateful for.

1. I’m grateful I can see.  It would be so terrifying to make your way around the world without seeing it.
2. I’m grateful I can hear.  I love listening to and playing music.  Plus, sounds tend to alert you to problems.
3. I like being able to walk.  It’s such a smooth way to get around.  Pushing a stroller around has made me more aware of wheelchair accessibility, and walking is so much easier.
4. Fingers are great.  You don’t realize until you cut/hurt a finger how much you use that one finger.
5. I’m grateful I’m a decent cook.  There’s nothing worse than ruining a meal and having to start over again.
6. I’m grateful I can taste and smell.  My mom can’t smell anymore, and she doesn’t mind not smelling when it stinks, but I know she misses the nice smells.  It makes cooking and cleaning a little harder—I have to tell her when her fridge or towels are starting to smell a little funky.
7. I’m glad I can sew.  I’m not amazing, but I can do the basics pretty well and I enjoy it.
8. I like being able to play the piano and violin.  It’s fun and a good talent to have.
9. I’m grateful I’m able to chew my food.  It’s weird, but most foods wouldn’t be nearly as nice if you couldn’t chew them.
10. I’m grateful I can drive a car.  Plus, I can drive a stick shift, which comes in handy.