I am thankful, I am.

But also quiet and reclusive. Show up, I'm told. Be present. So, here, with a belated Thankful Thursday. I humbly offer a few people / places / things I am grateful for this week:

Butter toffee peanuts
• My go-to treat, second only to tapioca.

The enthusiasm of others
• Thanks to gentle encouragement, I am back in the throes of organizing Off the Page, an annual celebration of poetry & prose. This is the 5th year, and despite its success — drawing audiences of 30 to 50 each year, in a town of just 600 people — I was about to give it up. I was tired and mopey. Orchestrating the event seemed too much work for too little reward. But just one person, who was interested and eager, changed my mind and put pep in my step. It's a cliche, but really, for the first time I actually believe this platitude: One person can make a difference.

• A friend has written a novel. It's the kind of really good book that left me honored to be among the first to read it. And, the author asked if she could include one of my poems. Her enthusiasm fueled my enthusiasm. (I'll share more about this touching novel as it gets closer to publication.)

Perseverance
• The more I acknowledge gratitude, the more grateful I feel. That's the beauty of Thankful Thursday. When you name your gratitude, you realize how much more there is to name. I've been reluctant to show up for Thankful Thursday (hence the day late). While I'm an encourager of others, lately my cheers have lost their buoyant tune as I have retreated into winter's matte gray. But perseverance pays, it seems, as I am here and feeling more thankful than when I arrived!

So, how about you? Are you feeling thankful today?