I apologize. I am eating pie right now and it is great.

imageSo I feel like I tacked a little too far into ungrateful snark in these last posts. All complaints and no solutions and that's not what it's about. What I'm trying to get across is that I believe people are infinitely capable, and we are smart enough and strong enough and have enough will power to address our problems.So, a day late, here is what I am thankful for:First: of course, family and friends. We are alive, we are relatively healthy, and we rest easy knowing that if we get sick there will be EMTs, nurses, doctors, therapists, drugs, imaging, and people that maintain a hospital to care for us. Thank you to these people for being on call/nights/weekends/holidays. Also for epidurals 'cause we are having babies at an incredible pace.Second: a nation of people willing to confront ugliness. It might not seem like we're special, and the work is never done, but calling out rapists and racists and autocracy and corruption is a thing Americans do well. And we've got a government that, while it spies and it lies and it unauthorized murders, does not (successfully) repress criticism for these actions. Hat tip to our citizenry.Third: artists, writers, and musicians. There is significant Venn diagram overlap with these folks and the folks confronting the ugliness. You're not doing it for the money you amazing humans. Also there have been at least two life changing albums made in the past year and I'm thankful that music still changes my life even at my ripe old age.And pie.