On this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for candy corn.

Candy corn is bad for me. It's a seasonal treat made entirely of sugar, and I can't get enough.

Don't tell me how you gave up sugar, and lost your bloat, your acne, and those stubborn 10 pounds. I know, I really know.

Candy corn is just one of the many things I eat — or do, or don't do — that is not in my best interest. This is how it goes: We know better but we remain unchanged. We simmer. We stew. We put off. We shy away. We push too hard. We don't push enough. We make excuses.

I'm talking about candy corn, and I'm not. I'm talking about all those fuzzy abstracts — commitment, truth, strength — that in the course of a marriage, a career, a passion, a day, get real and messy really quick.

We nibble on colored bits of sugar and enjoy a simple indulgence that when stacked against our larger inadequacies seems small and okay. We give ourselves permission to just be.

It's Thankful Thursday! Gratitude. Appreciation. Praise. Please join me in a weekly pause to appreciate the people, places & things that bring joy. What are you thankful for today?