On this, the first day of November, I’d like to start my list of things I’m thankful for with: I’m thankful some of y’all aren’t the boss of me and my Christmas decorations, and I can decorate when I want!

Okay,  okay…that’s not really it.  Maybe.

Actually, when I sat down to write this, I was thinking about something else – and maybe one day this month I’ll write about that, but then my heart changed.

Saturday night, we had Trunk or Treat at the church.  Now, I’m not sure if y’all are aware or not, but it was darn near 90 degrees when we got out there a little after 3:00 to set up. Considering I was dressed as a cat lady, with flannel pajama pants (complete with little cats all over them), long sleeve cotton shirt that came with the pajama pants, and a fleece bathrobe, by the time we started at 4:00, I’m pretty sure I was sweating like I had been on the dang ARC machine at the gym for 45 minutes, instead of simply opening my trunk, getting some candy together, and sitting in a chair.  We got started, and soon people were filing through one right after the other.  The sun went down…and the mosquitoes came out.  Yet, we were still having a good time.  I say that to say, by the time it got close to 8:00, I was about ready to wrap up.  I was sitting in my chair, bathrobe covering everything I could cover to protect me from the mosquitoes, just people watching, when up walked this little girl.

This little girl and her siblings with their dark hair and eyes, and innocent sweet smiles, always bring happiness to my life.  They are a group of children being fostered by someone in our church.  She came up, smiled shyly, stood in front of me, and I naturally thought she wanted more candy.  I reached into my bucket of candy, pulled out a handful, smiled and said (in a quiet voice as if we were sharing a secret): “Here….You want some more candy? I’ll give you some more candy.”

With one hand partially covering her beautiful smile, she shook her head no.  I admit to being momentarily puzzled – I mean, I just offered her a large amount of candy and she said no.  I said: “You don’t want candy?  Is there something else you want?” And without thinking twice, she quickly takes the couple of steps to me and presses in for a hug.  A big hug.  A “put your candy bucket on the ground because I need two arms to hug you” hug. Of course, I hugged her back.  She releases me, looks up at me, and says: “You’re always just so comfortable! One more hug?” I smiled, and said of course.  I hugged her tight, feeling her baby fine hair against my face, holding an innocent child knowing that her life has had times of chaos, and was humbled that she thinks that I am comfortable. She picked up her candy bucket, ran off smiling….and left my heart a little bigger.

You see, y’all, there are many words we might want someone to describe us as – maybe you’re funny, intelligent, witty, daring, gregarious, a go-getter, a networker….and the list goes on and on…yet, somehow I doubt that any of us would have thought we would want to be described as comfortable.  That’s usually a word we use to describe our favorite reading spot, or pair of pajamas, or old sweatshirt. We want to be exciting. We want to be seen as adventurous and sparkling. And maybe, I am at times that, too…

But on Saturday night, that little girl showed me that being comfortable is right where it’s at. With her words and actions, she told me that in this crazy world, she finds me a place of comfort.  Even if for but a moment. You see, it’s great to be those other things, and we are all multifaceted, but if one person finds even a measure of comfort, solace, or peace from being near me – I’ll take that any day.

So tonight – on this first day of November – I am thankful that someone in this world thinks I’m comfortable.

This is a beautiful life.