What are YOU Thankful for?

In celebration of Thanksgiving and in celebration of Childfreedom, I thought I would post all the things I am thankful for that relate to the status of being childfree. I first posted this list on Thanksgiving, 2008, but since I am still thankful for the same things, here it is for an encore! Would you care to add to the list? If so, please post a comment! Let's see how long the list can become.

Today, I am thankful for:

A marriage fully centered around each other and unstrained and undistracted by the stresses of childrearing;

A full night's sleep every single night;

No bags under my eyes;

The freedom to come and go at will;

Nice long naps on the weekend;

Being independent, self-determined and autonomous;

Living a relaxed and unharried life;

Maintaining my personal identity fully;

The time, ability and energy to sustain meaningful and substantial intimate relationships;

Having a home that is a serene and peaceful retreat;

Having far fewer wrinkles than my child-encumbered peers;

Not having to be an example;

Rarely getting sick;

Being able to eat cookies for breakfast out in the open;

Every night is "date night" if we want it to be;

Not having to be a cheuffer;

Not having to sock away thousands of dollars for kids' college education;

Being able to set my own agenda;

Having the personal privacy I desire;

Not having to yell, fight, scream, correct, punish, scold anyone;

Having a home that is completely free of kindercrap and is decorated as I wish;

Being able to do yoga or have quiet contemplation when I choose;

Being able to give our cats the full and undivided love & attention they deserve;

Being able to invest in a comfortable retirement;

Being a genuinely enthusiastic and engaged aunt (because I am not jaded from having kids);

The ability, energy and time to be a devoted friend;

Having an attention span (most people lose this upon becoming parents);

The time and energy to take care of my health and appearance;

The ability to be spontaneous;

The time and ability to be involved in the community, volunteer work;

Taking a "down day" whenever I need it;

Using my vacation time for fun vacations (instead of for caring for sick kids);

Cooking when I feel like it and cooking sophisticated/gourmet dinners when the mood strikes;

Driving whatever type of car I prefer to drive;

Watching whatever I want on the t.v. with no worries about who is exposed;

Visiting whatever web sites I want with no worries about who is looking over my shoulder;

Dropping the F-bomb at home (or other unsavory words/statements) at will whenever I need the release;

Having to do only 2 loads of laundry per week;

Monthly expenses that are about half of what people with kids have;

Travelling wherever I want (not limited to Disney World or other kid-friendly places);

Travelling whenever I want (not limited to working around kids' school schedules);

Pursuing a new hobby - taking classes, etc...whenever the mood strikes;

The ability to pursue higher education if desired without guilt or limitations;

The ability to be fully invested in my career and forward mobility and being a dependable employee;

The ability to live in any neighborhood/area we want with no concern about schools, etc.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!