howl with me

Just this past Friday, I met a person who told me that I'm a wolf in sheep's clothing.  She was quick to clarify that it didn't mean what I thought it meant... not the big,bad wolf or the wolf that waited patiently in grandma-drag to eat lil' Red Riding Hood, no nothing like that.  She meant that I make people think.  I see people for who they are and, while I walk among the sheep, I'm stirring up those other wolves to kick off their sheep clothes and embrace their own wolfiness.

Whoa.  Pretty heavy role I have there.

As I let the wolf persona sink in since then, I've noticed a lot of talk about thanks on the social media watering holes.  Thanksgiving, here in the States, at the end of the month is a great way to get people talking about gratitude so I'm happy to see that my fellow wolves are starting early with posts about gratitude.  A good place to start is something easy... 

Thank you for clouds in the sky but no rain today.

Thank you that I woke up in relatively good health and spirits.

Thank you for my family, my spouse or partner, my child, children or my good sense to recognize that I choose not to have children.  

whatever fits in your life, you can be grateful for.  You don't have to pray in any specific faith, you can pray in all faiths or just thank yourself for creating the life that you want.  

It's the attitude of gratitude that matters.

I'm going to take it one step further... and throw out a few thank yous for things I normally complain about.

WHOA.  game changer, right?  

Thank you for this incredibly painful and itchy mosquito bite on the arch of my left foot.  It's been making it's presence known and felt since Thursday and even the mighty calamine can't touch this bad boy.  Thank you for the vacation where I was exposed to whatever crazy juiced up mosquitos they have in Florida because in addition to spending a week with my mom & son, I spent a few moments with Mr. Mosquito too.

Thank you for cold, grey, rainy Chicago weather in November... I have the PERFECT cozy sweater and furry pajama pants for evening couch cuddling to compliment.

Thank you for mind-numbingly slow city traffic (seriously, there is no rush "hour" here, it's always), I can crank up the radio and sing along to that new song I can't get enough of.

Thank you for what I perceive to be others behaving badly to me or hurting me... it reminds me that others' actions have more to do with themselves and very little to do with me or anything I could have done to deserve or prevent it.  Only hurt people hurt people, so let me take this time to send them a little extra love so that they can handle whatever is bothering them.

See?  That wasn't so bad, was it?

So here's your mission, my fellow wolves... I see you.  I know you're under all that sheep clothing... 

TAKE IT OFF!  (but save the wool and give it to us... we are knitters, after all, and that sh*t is like GOLD)