My Feet Are Thankful!!

It's Thanksgiving Day and I'm sitting here watching the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, thinking about the numerous reasons I have to be thankful. Since I consider my life to be rich and fulfilled, I know there would never be enough space to list all the things for which I'm thankful. I'll begin by saying how thankful I am for my deep-seeded faith in God, my awesome Catholic faith and the Blessed Sacrament. I'm so fortunate to be able to share that faith with an unbelievable faith family in my church parish and the incredible prayer partners who are my best friends in weekly adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Beyond that, I simply say that I have the greatest husband in the world, a phenomenal family that includes five fabulous grandsons, the greatest friends imaginable, wonderful neighbors, and a little puppy named Cody who gives me unconditional love and an occasional prize on the rug. Suffice it to say, it doesn't have to be Thanksgiving Day for me to know that I live a life of thanksgiving.
But with all this personal thankfulness, I realize that the theme of my blog encompasses the unwelcome challenges I face with my messed up feet every day. With this in mind, I realize that once again, I have so much to be thankful for. But think PAIN as you go through my list.

• I'm very thankful that I wasn't born to be a soldier in either the Korean army or the Chinese military. Just watching those guys do their fast-paced, precise, stiff legged, high kick, World War I, communist-looking march, makes my feet ache all the way to the roots of my teeth. Ouch!
• In fact, I'm thankful that I don't have to be military of any kind. Combat boots would not be my friends. I hear about soldiers who "run" through rough terrain carrying a 50-pound backpack and it's more than I can imagine.
• I'm thankful that I was never chosen to be a shoe model. I can't even look at the 8-inch platform heels without wincing in pain.
• I'm thankful that I never had the physical shape, the height, the talent or the desire to become a Radio City Rockette performer. Although I think they're the greatest, just seeing them, all in unison, dance and kick in those high heeled shoes is very difficult to watch. 
• I'm very thankful that I don't have a job standing on my feet all day. Imagine if I were a British soldier assigned to guard the Royal Palace and I would have to stand there motionless for hours until the changing of the guard. Yeah. That would undoubtedly mean more military boots and unbearable pain.
• I'm thankful that, although I've had a family of marathon runners, I don't have to join the Kenyan marathon team members who spend a lifetime running through rugged African terrain just to prove that they're the fastest in the world - and to get a medal.
• Most of all, I'm thankful that I can afford the not-so-fashionable comfort shoes, athletic shoes and orthotics that make my active life possible! I'm also thankful for my family and friends who are understanding of the fact that if I say I can't do it, I mean I can't do it! 
• Okay, okay! I'm very thankful to have both feet no matter how much nerve pain shoots through them every day! I'm thankful for an otherwise healthy body. And I'm ever so thankful that I can see the world from the back of our Harley without having foot pain.

Yes, I am very thankful to be me!