The Awesomest People in My Life

Someone told me recently that I present as "not in touch with my emotions" (ehem, you know who you are). To challenge that perception, I will now present you with some people that I am thankful for (in no particular order) and risk exposing myself emotionally:

Aron: I'm thankful that you're so awesome. I hardly mind when you leave an empty box of cereal on the counter even though you walk right by the trash on your way into the living room where you will consume your cinnamon toast crunch while watching Pickers on the History Channel. I hardly mind it...barely even registers that it's happening.

Mom: I'm thankful that you have faithfully watched my kids every Tuesday for 7 years. It's not a big deal that when I get home on Tuesdays you boss me around like I'm 8. Not a biggie that every time you watch an Oprah show or listen to an hour of Delilah on the radio and you come up with some grand solution to my life. I LOVE it when you preface your conversations with me with the phrase "Not to tell you what to do..." and then you proceed to tell me exactly what you think I should do. I'm sure I'm thankful on the inside.

Dad: Let me just **use this post** as my main example of how I appreciate you. I will supplement it with the fact that your idea of "lunch" is a half a loaf of bread toasted in the toaster. Is it because you love toast, Dad? No. It's because after 10 years of retirement that's still all you can make yourself if Mom isn't home. Let no stone go unturned and no slice of bread go untoasted, Dad.

Jeff: I'm thankful that however awesome you feel you are, I can always bring you back down to earth but pointing out the little quirks that make you you. Quirks like the fact that you throw a ball like a 6 year old girl at her first day of softball practice and your adult drink of choice is an amaretto sour.

Robin: I'm thankful that you started bringing beer to all family functions. The end.

Kevin: I'm thankful that I have you on board with the whole bringing beer to all family functions tradition started by Robin. It's only a problem when you're drinking alone in the kitchen...doing shots by yourself...then drinking coffee after to disguise the smell of rum on your breath. Scratch that. I say it's only a problem if you admit it's a problem.

Annie K: I'm thankful that you keep Kevin around to help me drink.

There are others but Aron has told me that this post is already too long so in lieu of being thanked, you're being voted out of the family. I'd still like a gift from you for Christmas.