Mr. Charm last year before Thanksgiving. My Pumpkin in the Pumpkins!
Today is Thanksgiving Eve, and I’m going to be taking the rest of the week off from blogging to spend time with my family, finish getting life in order from two weeks away from home, and (attempting to) rest.
Before I go, though, a Thanksgiving post is in order.
Every November, we are encouraged by a national holiday to spend at least one day counting our blessings. Often I hear people do this by way of self-chastisement; as in “I’m so selfish and arrogant to complain when other people have it so much worse than I do!”
There is truth to this thought, but the fact remains that each of us lives our own lives complete with ups and downs and everything in between. Other people have it harder than us, sure, but other people have it better.
Don’t compare.
Don’t compare your blessings, and don’t compare your difficulties. Accept your life as is, with all its ‘goods’ and ‘bads’, and on this Thanksgiving, focus on the blessings. Focus on the good in your life and be grateful.
Sure, charity should be in our hearts. We should think of others and the needs that are going unmet that we may be able to fill. This is right and good, and an important part of most faiths.
Don’t eliminate compassion and charity from your heart, but this Thanksgiving, don’t be grateful because you have it better than other people…just be grateful for the sake of being grateful.
I’ve been thinking about what I am grateful for this year, and do you want to know what I’ve come up with?
Everything.
I am grateful for everything.
It sounds so vague, doesn’t it? So naive and childish. But it’s true.
I’m grateful for the path my life has taken since the day I was born. Every single thing that happened, both good and bad, has led me to this moment. This moment where I have…
an amazing husband who is a good man and who loves me as much as I love him and stands as my rock in hard times,
two sons who are so amazing and wonderful I could peruse the dictionary for hours and not come up with enough adjectives to properly explain how awesome they are,
a beautiful home in which to raise my sons and build the foundation of their lives,
parents who are healthy and vibrant and who show me they love me all the time,
extended family that loves me and my family dearly,
gainful employment (even though I’m on leave, I’m still gainfully employed) in an interesting profession,
a husband with steady, gainful employment working with the best boss in the entire world,
access to the internet, which has brought me a wealth of knowledge about how to take care of my children via FPIES message boards, FructMal message boards, medical literature, Mommy Blogs, and even some new friends,
U.S. citizenship, which, while I’m sometimes scared of the direction the country is taking is STILL the standing bastion of liberty, freedom and a ‘can do’ attitude unparalleled in the world,
a better understanding about health and food than I ever thought I could have, which has brought about almost 50 pounds of weight loss in me and an improved quality of life for my family, not to mention kept the boys out of the hospital,
the ability to write, and the forum to share experiences on a blog that might help another family,
the grace of God, because I know I am certainly a work in progress and could never earn salvation on my own.
For these things, and so many others, I am truly grateful. My life has been blessed in a million little ways that are far too easy to overlook on a daily basis.
Today, and the rest of this week, I plan to spend some time relishing my blessings and actively appreciating the people in my life who make it worth living. I hope you’ll do the same.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
