I was thinking about the things that I'm thankful for and I considered listing all of the presents I received for Christmas or all of the fun I had with my family, but...I feel like I should be grateful for less superficial things. I'm blessed with so much! Here's my top five list:

5. My new apartment, also known as "the palace." It's so beautiful, so big, and so much more than I need or deserve. It's been convenient to have a guest bedroom over the holidays, but I really don't need one year-round. And my neighborhood is amazing! I swear, if any of you ever move to the Twin Cities, this is the coolest part of town- it has the best stores, best restaurants, and it's right next to the lakes. Honestly though, I'm so lucky just to have shelter, a warm place to live, because there are still people standing alongside the highway off-ramps even in this frigid weather.

4. My social capital. Not to revert to Ed. Psych 101 terminology, but I have so many resources at my disposal which will help me to succeed in our society. I speak English, I have had a great education, I understand societal norms and protocol, and I have a network of family and friends who can rescue me if I ever get into trouble (loan debt springs to mind :>). If nothing else, my graduate school education has taught me that having connections in American society is invaluable.

3. Freedom. This is tied to social capital, but also to living in the United States. We have so many liberties, the greatest of which might be the freedom from harm. As much as I don't very much like our President, he is keeping us safe (which all Presidents have tried to do). Here I don't have to worry about guerrilla warfare, famine, or epidemics of disease. We have been taught how best to survive natural disasters...hopefully wel'll help other countries to learn those techniques too. We are also blessed in the fact that there is enough money and intelligence that people are constantly working to keep us safer and healthier. Say what you will about big pharmaceutical companies, my dad is doing amazing work which will hopefully save lives around the world. I'm grateful for all the freedoms in this country.

2. My health. I'm blessed just to be alive, nevermind healthy! For all the time Americans spend obsessing about weight, there is something to be said for having such an abundance of food and medicine. In respect for the millions of starving around the world, I sometimes feel like our culture should just stop eating so gluttonously. I'm also very lucky to have a healthy family.

1. Love...obviously! I'm so grateful for the love of my family and friends!! In our highly neurotic society, it's amazing that I still love my parents and don't resent (very much) that I'm becoming my mother. I'm so lucky to have a network of people supporting me, as well. My new friends in the Twin Cities are so much fun (although they have a bizarre love of karaoke!) Most of my old friends are still in touch with me, too...that will be so helpful when I face the sureality that will be my five-year high school reunion. Finally, I have somehow managed to keep a continuous faith shining through my entire life so far. One could say that it's easy to have that relationship with religion when I've been so blessed, but it seems like it would be just as easy to give up when I have nothing more that I need.

Wowza, that's a long list. Sorry :). So, John and I are going to the amusement park inside the Mall of America for New Year's Eve. It's going to be really fun- they turn the lights on all of the rides and it's beautiful! Happy New Year, everyone! May the blessings of the season be upon you and your family.