What I am Most Thankful For

by Jessica.
Today I am most thankful for (to borrow a word from Abba) ligature: the ways in which my life intertwines with the lives of my family, friends, even perfect strangers... the way some things just sort of fit together, somehow. Three examples of ligature this morning:
1.) Have you ever been listening to a mixed tape or CD, and suddenly thought, "this thing has internal coherence?" I was listening to a kickin' mixed folksy CD that a friend made for me, and I realized that Song number 4 started out on a rooftop in Brooklyn, looking out over the skyscrapers of Manhattan, and then Song 5 features a window-washer on a skyscraper (possibly in Manhattan?), musing to himself, "Would you catch me if I fall...when I fall?". Song 6 assures us all, "If you fall I will catch you, I'll be waiting, time after time..." (Did you do that on purpose, Meckhead?)
2.) Manifestation of ligature #2: This one was one of those "you said the words I didn't know I was thinking" types of moments. My friend Andreas, who's from Greece and is studying at Duke, wrote me this morning: ..."It's a weird feeling, because when I'm at home and you ask me what I'm doing or what I'm feeling there is usually one general feeling that I have. But when I live away from home I get many different feelings all the time and what I'm gonna tell you totally depends on the time that you talk to me. Maybe the next minute I get a phone call and my mood shifts." He is SO right. Living away from home can be wonderful in many ways, but it is just more complicated than living at home, and so are my emotions.
3.) Ligature...later: When I get home tonight I am going to call my family. I am not talking mommy, daddy, and li'l sis here. I mean the whole extended kit and caboodle... my dad's nine brothers and sisters, their spouses and kids and grandkids and various significant others and friends and dogs and everyone all together in the big, happy, well-fed jumble that defined my growing-up years. They will all be gathered in one house today, for my telephoning convenience. :-)