
The holiday season has come and gone and although I have had some difficulty putting life aside and being thankful for things on a daily basis, the holidays remind us to take that time and to be thankful for all of the things in our lives. I continue tackling my daily thanks…some small and seemingly insignificant while others are much bigger. Regardless of the thing for which I am thankful for, the journey of taking a moment each day continues.
December 14th, 2011 – DAY 20
What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for the awe of children when seeing Santa. Tonight was our work gathering for our clients – what we call family night. It is a night for families to come, eat dinner, enjoy activities and crafts, and this month…the chance to meet and take pictures with Santa. Honestly, seeing children interact with Santa, get excited to see and sit with him…makes the holiday season more festive, more magical, and more fun to experience.
December 15th, 2011 – DAY 21
What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for safe flights. I cannot deny that flying gives me a little anxiety. I enjoy flying overall, but cannot erase the images of crashed airplanes on TV that I have seen throughout the course of my life. I know that the chances of my flight crashing are far lower than my chances of getting into a car accident, but there seems to be something frightening about being hundreds of thousands of feet in the air. I fly a few times each year and any ounce of turbulence sets my mind racing with thoughts of plummeting to the ground. I flew home to spend the week before Christmas with my family and am extremely thankful that I made it there in one piece.
December 16th, 2011 – DAY 22
What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for the innocence of children. Today I was blessed with spending my day with a five year old and 1 year old. There is something refreshing about spending time with children. They don’t filter their thoughts and during this holiday season, their love of the magical world of Santa is breathtaking. The five year old is mesmerized by the elf on the shelf and her specific elf’s name is Sugar. Sugar comes and goes each night relaying intel to Santa. Each morning she searches for him to ensure that he has returned. She believes…truly believes in Christmas. The one year old smuggled a canister of tooth picks out of the grocery store…first offense. She used them as maracas…to shake her way through the store…dancing in her cart and entertaining most of the people she walked by. I wish I could see them more often. I wish I could witness more of these little moments that remind you about what is important in life.
December 17th, 2011 – DAY 23
What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for family gatherings. Today was our family gathering for the holidays. Great food, great people, many laughs, a few games and adult beverages, the sound of children running up and down the stairs, unwrapping gifts, and a late night competition of Just Dance 2 on the Wii. All families have their ups and downs…their disagreements and irritations with one another…yet, bringing everyone together (although not an easy feat), is a constant reminder of where we came from, where we are going, and who is important in our lives.
December 18th, 2011 – DAY 24
What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for long car drives. Following a great family gathering, today my mother and I had to return to her home…a 3 ½ hour drive. My mother and I speak daily over the phone but seldom have the luxury of long conversations in person, as we live in two separate cities. This long drive allowed us to catch up, laugh and joke and simply enjoy one another’s company.
December 19th, 2011 – DAY 25
What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for my grandmother. My grandmother is 92 years old and has played a significant role in my life. As she has aged, her tie to her family is only grown stronger. I assume that with each family gathering, she cherishes the moments she spends with all of us, should the next moment not be in her future. I do not live in the same city as my grandmother, but enjoy weekly phone calls to her. Yet, no phone call takes the place of spending time with one another. Being home for the holidays allowed me to spend individual time with her…shopping, chatting and enjoying one another’s company. In general, life is short and none of us know when our last moment will be. I too cherish the moments with my grandmother, possibly more than she.
December 20th, 2011 – DAY 26
What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for reconnections. I haven’t always had the most solid relationship with my father. As an adult, we have had minimal interactions until the last year or so. During that time, his effort increased and my level of stubbornness, decreased…making the perfect equation for better interactions. Not only have these increased, but the only sibling I have (a half sibling), who had been caught in the crossfire of my father and I’s lack of relationship, is now back in my life as well. Today we went to dinner…me, her, my father and the closest thing I will have to a nephew. We caught up on life, laughed at how similar we all are, and operated a bit more like a family. Which is a nice change of events.
December 21st, 2011 – DAY 27
What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for exchanging gifts with my mother. We chose to have a light Christmas this year, in an effort to watch our finances. Although we gave one another gifts, they were smaller and more simple. Sitting up late at night and being able to exchange gifts with one another, was one of the highlights of my trip home.
December 22nd, 2011 – DAY 28
What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for headphones. Today was my return flight home. You would think that I would be thankful for safe flights again or just making it back, given the chaos of the airports. However, for anyone who has ever flown or simply travelled on any form of mass transportation, you know the probability that you are seated next to someone that you would prefer not to be, is fairly high. The individual who wants to talk when you want to read, the individual who takes up your space when you just want to nap, or the individual who carries on interesting conversations when you simply want to tune out the world. This flight was one of those moments – seated next to someone who wanted to talk about the plane that crashed into the Hudson and how similar our flight was to that. Seriously? Thank you for headphones and some loud Black Eyed Peas that drowned out the sound of her voice and soothed the anxiety building up inside me, each moment she spoke.
December 23rd, 2011 – DAY 29
What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for jean days. At my job, we have to dress “business casual”. Occasionally we get jean days which allow us to dress down and be a bit more relaxed in the office. The benefit as well, is that our supervisor permitted us to wear jeans until the end of the year. This may not seem like much to some people, but my ideal outfit consists of jeans and a t-shirt. So, dressing down at work makes each day at work, a little bit better.
December 24th, 2011 – DAY 30
What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for Christmas music. Fortunately I do not work in retail, as they often play holiday music throughout the entire month of December…putting employees in a “holiday music” exhaustion headspace. I was able to simply turn on the holiday music channel Christmas Eve, spend time wrapping presents, and allowing myself to get into the holiday spirit the night before Christmas. And just to note – Barbara Streisand’s holiday album is phenomenal.
December 25th, 2011 – DAY 31
What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for thoughtfulness. With each unwrapped gift, the level of thought that went into each present, stood out. The nice thing about putting price limits on how much you and your loved one spend, is that sometimes, it makes you step back and get creative, thinking about the things that your loved one truly enjoys. This is exactly what happened. Thoughtfulness on Christmas (along with any day), makes for a warm and special holiday.
December 26th, 2011 – DAY 32
What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for movie marathons. Holidays are over and the desire to rest and relax following the numerous family functions is in full force and effect. Lounging on the couch with three of the most important things in my life, watching movie after movie…snacking here and there…cuddling, staying warm and kicking our feet up, is the perfect way to spend the day.
How were your holidays? Looking back, what are you thankful for?