Today, I’m thankful for a car that runs. It is big enough for our whole family. It is reliable enough for us to go on road trips. It’s a luxury to have a car that runs, has air conditioning and heat, and is big enough for our whole family.

There is a war going on in my house between laundry and dishes. I won’t run the dishwasher and washing machine at the same time, so every day, for much of the day, one of them is running. I don’t enjoy this and as I began to tackle the sink full of dishes, I thought… “What am I thankful for today? If I had a maid, I’d be thankful for her!” Actually, no, I probably wouldn’t… I’d probably forget to appreciate the luxury of having a maid, like I forget to appreciate the everyday luxuries that I already have. Luxuries that I forget to appreciate because most Americans have them, too. But, they truly are luxuries in much of the world.

Today, I’m thankful for the dirty dishes that mean we have enough food to eat. I’m thankful for the dirty clothes that really aren’t that very dirty, and will soon be washed clean again. And, I’m thankful for the clean water that we all drink without hesitation. The clean water that we use to bathe and wash our clothes and dishes, and brush our teeth. The clean water that we rely on but so often take for granted. From charity:water, “800 million people drink water that is likely to make them sick.” 800 million. Wow.

Today, I’m thankful for the right to free speech and the right to vote. I may not agree or like everything that people say, but I am glad that I live in a country people can express their opinions publicly without fear.

And I’m thankful that I could vote from home in my sweatpants while my toddler took a nap. Yay for advance ballots.