A Happy Have-Not
by Faye Field

What am I thankful for? I am thankful that I do not have a clothes dryer. If I owned one, surely I'd miss the exhilaration that comes from taking a basketful of clothes into the fresh morning air. I'd miss the ritual of the clothesline, where once a week, garment by garment, peg by peg, I link my family together, symbolically at least. I'd miss the wet-flapping sound that sheets in the wind make. I'd miss the feeling of sisterhood I share with all the women of all the ages who have worked at homely chores for the people they love.

I am thankful I do not have a microwave oven, for I am accustomed to a slower pace. Besides, I love to peek into my friendly old stove to see the turkey crisping, to watch pale, waddy dough gradually turning into fluffy brown rolls.

I am thankful I do not have air-conditioning, for then I likely would not fling open the windows. Closed in, I might not see the little green lizard scampering on the screen. Over the hum of an air conditioner, I might not hear the chattering of blue jays in the early morning, the gentle rain at night. I might even miss the howling of the wind.

I am thankful I do not have: wall-to-wall carpeting, for I love the glow of polished hardwood; central heat, for watching the dying embers in our fireplace makes me feel at peace; a new sofa, for I like the way the old one embraces me. It would take too long, I fear, for a new one to yield to my measurements.

I am thankful I do not have a gardener, for I would not spend the hours I do in my flowerbeds. And I would not be on my knees as often, closer to the earth, closer to you, Lord, in prayer, telling you of all the many things for which I am thankful.

The above article originally appeared in Guideposts magazine. Visit the recently updated Guideposts.com today.