Your Baby Girl © 2004
by Linda (Lynn) Means

I thought about it one day, you know the old adage, "be thankful for what you've got," well I gave it a great deal of thought and surmised the following:I Thank You Dear Lord, for allowing me to rise to see another day, Thank you for the Now I lay me down to sleep, Our Father and all the Amazing Graces.Thanks for my parents, thank you for my sister and brother.Thank you for the rich wisdom of my grands and great grands, thanks for my aunts, uncles and cousins.I thank you for all the formulas of life, the breast feedings and the many diapers I soiled, thanks for my baby teeth, teddy bears and all the musical wind up toys.I Thank You Heavenly Father for the ABC's and the one plus ones of life, the penmanship and the never-ending history lessons.Thanks for the various colors not only in my crayon box, but also the many colors associated with life, I Thank You Dear Father for my ethnic exposure.I Thank You, for the ability to articulate, with correct verbal skills.My many nouns, verbs, conjunctions and prepositional phrases.I thank you for my ponytails pierced ears and the ability to wear heals.Thanks for the Boogieman, Tooth fairy and Mr.. Sand Man. Thanks Father God for the many vaccinations, temperatures chicken pox, measles and mumps.Thank you for my physical therapy and for everyone involved, Thanks for the doctors, the nurses, teachers and the aides I befriended.Thanks for the meat and glandular substances that add sustenance and provides needed nutrients, Thanks for the all ice cream sundaes, jello molds and assorted breads, Thanks for the shoes, sneakers, socks and dresses.Thank you for all my faculties of life.Thanks for the puberty ages, the birds and the bees and/or the facts of life.I especially thank you for allowing me the ability of not suffering with acne.Thank You Heavenly Father for the knowledge of knowing right from wrong, and having the strength to carry on, Thanks for the wonderful Serenity Prayer. Thanks God, for the exorbitant homework assignments that proved as my final equation in obtaining my diploma.Thanks for my many college courses.Above all Father God, I thank you for your support in aiding in the acceptance of my disability in thriving to carry on and in dealing with the disabilities of others.Thanks for the finger popping, foot stomping hallelujahs, and shouts, praises and critiques.Thank You for all the Sunday school lessons, church plays and countless choir rehearsals, Bible School and Girl Scouts, where I graciously learned that 'On my honor, I will try.' Thanks You Dear Father for the harmony, unity, security and vitality of life.Thanks for the neighborhood fights, the sleepovers, bar-be-ques and lemonade sales.Thanks for releasing my tongue from the frosty ice tray.I Thank You Dear Father for the ability to share my knowledge of strength to those less fortunate.I Thank You for my efforts of excelling to become a better person.I Thank You for dealing with not only life, but also with the heartaches of accepting death.I Thank You for my beautiful daughters, though one only a memory, I thank you for the determination of growth of the loving one that you have provided me to hold close to my heart.Thanks for assisting her in fulfilling her quest for life.For the many loved ones that I have lost, I Thank You for allowing me to love them and always keep them in my heart.I give special thanks for my niece, whose memory will live on forever.I Thank You for my five nephews, and my darling granddaughters, please Dear God; keep them safe and free from harm.Thanks for the pumping beat of my heart, the images, the smell, taste and touches of life, Thanks for all the superficial things that I have obtained, Thanks for all the wonderful people that I have met, Thanks for the wisdom, Thanks for the wealth of generosity, Thank you for my mechanical abilities, Thank You Dear Father for the Fud-ji-cles, Frosted Flakes, penny candy and the sugary mounds of cotton candy, thanks for the flavors of cherry, ketchup and peppermint sticks.Thanks for the delicious cheeseburger.Thanks again for the dream from the night before.Thank you for the right to vote, the Emancipation Proclamation, the many inaugural speeches, and the various presidents.Thank you for the I Have A Dream Speech, The Million Man March and the many political scandals. Thanks Dear Lord for the roof over my head and the energy that flows in my consistency of life. Thanks for allowing someone to love me for me, and their family as well.Continually I express my thanks to you, I further thank You for the ability to prepare this, my many words of thanks to you. Thank You Dear God for everything!I feel with all I thank you for, it is now my turn to return the favor - if I fall short of completing my task to you, here again, I will thank you for your assistance with that.

P.S.In conclusion Dear Father, I cannot help but feel, with all the things that you have bestowed upon me, I can't help but say, I think you are spoiling me - that's all right with me - and I thank your for that!