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Let's Just Be Thankful

I thought writing a daily journal, so to speak, of the things I was thankful for…would be a simple task. A task forcing me to analyze my life and ensure I stopped to give thanks for something each and every day. Sadly, this journey was a battle – the hardest part wasn’t finding things to be thankful for. The challenge lay in that, with each day that passes, life goes on. Our schedules fill with appointments, meetings, parties, parent teacher conferences, etc. We rise early in the morning, grab our coffee and breakfast to go, and plug through the work day. We come home, conquer dinner, tackle some chores, hang out with family and begin the bedtime routine.

It’s not that life is too busy to give thanks. It’s just that it became difficult to stop each day and be thankful. It seems that it’s far easier to be thankful for events in our lives. Which…is sad and unfortunate. It seems easy and logical to be thankful for our health, our loved ones, and time with people we care about. It’s not as easy to be thankful for the abnormally warm weather today, the tulips in bloom, the peaceful evening under the stars, etc.

Rather than break down a daily journal, I figure the only thing I can do is to continue this journey – yet simply noting the things that registered that week – those things that made me stop and give thanks. Some weeks that may be one thing, others that may be ten. I suppose this will be contingent upon the cards that life deals each week.

This week, there were a few things that made me stop and give thanks. First and foremost, I am thankful for my puppy who had a health scare and came through it okay. I am thankful that the scale showed my hard work of eating healthy this week. I am thankful for completing my last indoor soccer game – no injuries and no remaining games. I am thankful for having a fairly calm week at work – especially given that my supervisors have been out of the office for two weeks. And last but not least, I am thankful for the spring weather slowly finding itself a place in the remaining days of winter.

365 Days of Thanks - The Journey Continues

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 14^th, 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 15^th, 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 16^th, 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 17^th, 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 18^th, 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 19^th, 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 20^th, 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 21^st, 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 22^nd, 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 23^rd, 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 24^th, 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 25^th, 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 26^th, 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?

365 Days Of Thanks

Here we are again. Week 3, so to speak. Consistently working to give thanks each day. It’s odd. As each day passes, further and further from Thanksgiving, making these conscious efforts to stop and think about my day, what I am thankful for…becomes harder and harder. I don’t know where that comes from exactly. My guess is that I slowly fall back into my daily routines, slowly fall back into my life routine and essentially, finding a pause each day, isn’t always the easiest task.

Yet, I find with this journey, although it seems to be getting more challenging…taking that time each day…truly has put me in a position to be grateful for my life. Although I believe I was always grateful, now each day holds something new…something beautiful…something to remind me that each day is a blessing.

December 9^th, 2011 – DAY 15

What am I thankful for? – Today I am thankful for order, structure and boundaries. I suppose I sound relatively rigid when I say that. However, I am a pretty free spirited woman. I don’t tend to “sweat the small stuff”. Yet, given my career path (criminal justice system), I have a tendency to operate in chaos. I manage this well…9.7 days out of 10. Given the population I work with, I spend my days tackling substance abuse, criminal behavior and overall, life struggles for many individuals. With that being said, I also spend many days dealing with anger, frustration, sadness and an overall struggle with following some of the most basic rules. I run a group on criminal thinking and last week, that group was absolutely WILD. Whatever was happening that day, all structure and order in that group seemed to have flown out the window right alongside my stress level and ability to tolerate most things. So, afterwards, we regrouped (as staff), revamped the rules a bit and opted to take a different approach the next week…which would be today. I can say that today ran like a half oiled machine. Much better than last week, but still needs a little work to make it run smoothly. Today though, I was able to stop and realize how much we all need a little structure, a little order and a few boundaries in our lives.

December 10^th, 2011 – DAY 16

What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for my job. I don’t work on Saturdays, so I cannot say that today was some phenomenal day at the office. Yet, today was our work holiday party. A bunch of co-workers linking up on a non-work day, having appetizers, a little dinner, quite a few adult beverages, a lot of laughs, a great “white elephant” gift exchange, and relatively good company overall. At first I sai to myself, “I should be thankful for this holiday party.” And I cannot say that I am not. However, it was in that moment that I realized that it was much bigger than a party, holiday or not. The only reason I was able to attend this gathering, was because I have a job. Period. Times are rough and our economy is up and down. There are hundreds of thousands of people seeking employment, fighting the masses to obtain two openings at a specific business. Conquering the daily grind of applications, interviews and internet searches. Getting the call that you didn’t get the position. Or not getting the call at all. Although my career is challenging, it is far easier than the stress that comes with NOT having a job. Worrying about money and how to make all ends meet. So, thank you supervisor for this gathering. But thank you more for having confidence and faith in my job abilities, for allowing me job security and financial stability.

December 11^th, 2011 – DAY 17

What am I thankful for? – Today I am thankful for sleep. Given last night’s work holiday party, staying up later than normal, and two puppies who have a built in alarm clock of 6 am, sleep isn’t always a luxury I seem to get. Today though, I was able to get up with the little ones and easily drift back to sleep…sleeping in to about 10:30 am. Wow…that was well needed. Then a lovely football game on TV, which wasn’t grabbing all of my attention, allowed for a little nap. I woke up feeling rejuvenated and rested. It seems like quite some time since that happened. I know that many people say “you can sleep when you are dead”. I don’t disagree, but at the same time, getting enough sleep and rest allows me to make it through each day. Some days the comfort of my bed, my head rested on my pillow and my body wrapped up in the electric blanket and covers, is the best part of the day. I am not depressed nor needing or wanting medication, just simply being thankful for a well rested day.

December 12^th, 2011 – DAY 18

What am I thankful for? – Today I am thankful for beer. Mondays aren’t the easiest days of the week. Often, we are bombarded with the week’s agenda. The 900 things we need to get done in the matter of 40 hours. Having a rough Monday only sets us up for a long remainder of the week. Today, was a long day. Exhausting. Draining. And at the end of it, sadly, seemingly unproductive. I left work and joined some great people for a quick beer. It was well needed and allowed all of us to process the day, relax and rejuvenate for the week to come.

December 13^th, 2011 – DAY 19

What am I thankful for? – Today I am thankful for restraint. As previously noted, I am a pretty mellow individual. Not getting too riled up over seemingly insignificant things, easily being able to curb my frustrations, and often subduing elevated emotions with humor. Yet, as with us all, we have a breaking point. That point that rolls around where biting our tongue is about as challenging as winning the lottery. That point where we weigh the options… showing restraint or letting go, losing control and possibly having a variety of consequences that follow. Today, biting my tongue wasn’t easy. I needed a seatbelt, handcuffs, a gag or something. Something to make me stop…not take any further steps forward. I found it. I wish I could bag it up and put it on a shelf for later, but I cannot exactly recall where that restraint came from. It just came, at a time is was probably well needed. Regardless of its source, today, restraint was my saving grace.

Another few days have come and gone. The challenge continues.

365 Days of Thanks

"This journey continues. Day to day...thinking of something or someone who brightened my day."

I started this “Thankful for each day” journey a week ago. Essentially in an effort to remind myself to take a moment each day to be thankful for the things in my life. Big or small. Reality is, this week was a bit harder than the last. It becomes very easy to get engrossed in the day to day tasks in our lives…to forget about the good things when a rough day occurs. All the more reason to continue this journey.

December 1^st, 2011 DAY 7

What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for quiet, drama-less days. Today came and went. I sat back at the end of the day, in an effort to continue this challenge I have taken for myself, and wondered what stood out today…what was I thankful for. Honestly, I had to think about this one for a bit. Work was okay…calm and quiet overall. No crazy traffic. Nothing wild on the home front. I felt good today – no illness. I think I was seeking something concrete; a person that stood out, a gift from Mother Nature, a winning lottery ticket. Although each would be wonderful, the reality was that I was thankful for today for different reasons. Life has a tendency to throw us quite a few curveballs, and although I was pretty good at softball, I was great on defense and was horrible at actually hitting the ball. So, having a day that was easy and quiet and seemingly uneventful, sounds like a pretty good day to me.

December 2^nd, 2011 DAY 8

What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for successful surgeries. Today our puppies had the dreaded spay and neuter day – felt horrible taking their woman and manhood, yet as much as I love animals, the thought of having a mini litter delivered on my kitchen floor, was fast and efficient birth control. For anyone who has pets that they treat like their children, the anxiety of such a basic surgery, still sent my nerves through the roof. Fortunately, both came through with flying colors, mini tattoos showing the surgery was done, a little anesthesia hangover, and a brand new after surgery toy…which had the ear ripped off in a matter of minutes. Yet, their health is priceless and that toy…can be replaced.

December 3^rd, 2011 DAY 9

What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for hand warmers. I woke up this morning to snow and bitter freezing temperatures. Sounds like a great day to stay inside and watch movies, drink hot chocolate and be thankful that you have a roof over your head to dodge the weather. Not that I am not thankful for that, but today was the high school state championship football game…and we had tickets. So, I layered up…two pairs of long underwear, two Underarmour shirts, snowboarding pants, a sweater, two pairs of gloves, a stocking hat, a scarf and my snowboarding jacket. I almost passed out from heat exhaustion in the car, but was happy to have worn, what seemed like ½ my closet, once I stepped into the stadium and stood in the cold for the first half of the game. I soon realized that although I was chilly, the primary piece of my body that felt like it might fall off, was my hands. Threw a couple hand warmers into my gloves and in that moment, I believe I held a tiny piece of heaven. If it weren’t for the heat created by those little packs of magic, I may not have made it through the game. And it was a good one. Congratulations Columbine!

December 4^th, 2011 DAY 10

What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for football. Sundays…typically a day to relax, snack, and enjoy football…at least until the close of season arrives. Living in Denver, the Broncos obviously capture the hearts of the locals. I have had the luxury of attending a few games at Invesco field and maybe simply being “in” it, has a tendency to lure you into the fan club. I cannot say I have a favorite team, so Sundays find me on the couch…surfing from game to game and simply enjoying this American pastime. And…the recent Tim Tebow hype, doesn’t hurt either. Keeps my Sundays interesting to say the least.

December 5^th, 2011 DAY 11

What am I thankful for? I am thankful for Christmas tree hunting. It is that time of the year where the streets are lined with lights, homes sporting Christmas cheer, and Christmas tree lots scattered throughout the city. Personally, I love Christmas and despite the pain of actually putting the tree up…one of the best parts of Christmas, is having the tree in my home. Lights and ornaments giving my home a different splash of personality. We found our tree today. I cannot say that getting it off of the top of an SUV was the easiest task, but now that it is up and has not been taken out by the puppies, Christmas in my home, has officially begun.

December 6^th, 2011

What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for the health of my loved ones. I work in a field where hardship is a daily occurrence. We see the pain and heartache that often plagues the clients I work with. Today was one of those days – hearing of a previous client who was murdered. We all make choices in our lives that put us in great positions or not so great ones. Regardless, it is sad to hear of negative things happening to people…and the loved ones they leave behind. Mid-day…it made me stop and be thankful for the health of my loved ones. They have all made positive choices and have made many mistakes along the way as well. They are fortunate to be here…walking this earth each day. Living. And I am fortunate for their presence.

December 7^th, 2011 DAY 13

What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for peas. This may sound like one of the crazier things to be thankful for, but I simply have to roll with it. Honestly, they are my favorite vegetable. So much so, that I am willing to opt for canned peas, frozen peas, fresh peas, sugar snap peas….whatever peas are out there. I wasn’t always the best vegetable eater, and it took me growing older, maybe a change in taste buds to try, enjoy and appreciate this healthy option. Tonight, dinner involved peas…a pasta with lots of veggies tossed in it, but a splash of peas to top it off. A few bites in, I shook my head, smiled and noted how much I loved them…the peas, that is. As much as I love them, I probably do not incorporate them into my diet as often as I would like. With that being said, tonight’s meal was reminder of how much I enjoy them. Good food in the comfort of your home…nothing much better than that.

December 8^th, 2011 DAY 14 - TODAY

What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for good books. I enjoy reading but have a tendency to go through spurts with regards to how often I read. Recently, I have finished a couple books…overall, good choices, but all non-fiction, which is my preference. I like to throw in fiction to give my mind a breather. Wow…a friend recommended the Hunger Games! I saw a preview for the movie, but wasn’t even aware that a book existed…let alone a trilogy. She loaned me the book and warned that it may be hard to put down. I choose fiction to give my mind a breather…yet, I read this book before I went to bed and cannot manage to get it out of my head. Half way through book 1 and I am officially a fan and engrossed in the story line. I didn’t want to go to bed…I wanted to keep reading into the wee hours of the night. That is rare for me…a book I can hardly put down.

This journey continues. Day to day...thinking of something or someone who brightened my day. Until next week....

365 Days of Thanks

"Yet, why is it that it becomes so easy to lose focus of these areas of thanks, as the days move further and further from the actual holiday?"

Thanksgiving has come and gone. We are now rapidly approaching the next holiday season although the weight of Thanksgiving may still be resting with some of us. As previously noted, Thanksgiving is often the time of year we recap on the previous months and give thanks for the positive things and people in our lives. Yet, why is it that it becomes so easy to lose focus of these areas of thanks, as the days move further and further from the actual holiday?

I cannot deny that I am guilty of moving forward and losing sight of the numerous things I say “thank you” for on Thanksgiving. Although we have not quite hit the time of New Year’s resolutions, for me, today I am making my own resolution – to give thanks each and every day for the things in my life…big or small, seemingly significant or not. Acknowledging those pieces of my life, I believe, will allow me to appreciate each day to the fullest; for there will come a day, where those pieces will change…will fade away and be lost in the eternal portal of time; only held onto by their memories, those invisible lasting prints left on a heart, mind or soul.

To make this change, I wanted to look back at the five days since my last post. What am I thankful for? I can easily allow thoughts to pass through my mind, giving silent thanks for each. Yet, part of this process, I believe…is not only taking a moment each day to be thankful, but also to verbalize what it is that I am thankful for. I cannot guarantee that verbalizing my thanks will impact anyone or anything, including the people or things for which I am thankful. However, what impact does not saying it have?

So here I am…step one.

November 25^th – Friday DAY 1

What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for my co-workers. My smartest co-workers opted to take the day after Thanksgiving off. The rest of us managed to fight through the turkey coma, roll into work at a reasonable time, and suffer through the eight hours together. We laughed, joked, ate more turkey, got a little work done and overall, managed to get through this “day after the holiday” together…with grace, humor and general appreciation for the cohesiveness of us all.

November 26^th – Saturday DAY 2

What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for high school sports. Today I was blessed with attending a high school football game….the game before State. WOW! That took me back. The sportsmanship, teamwork and general atmosphere in the stadium was a trip back in time. I am thankful that I was able to play sports in high school, for the lessons in life that I now carry because of my involvement in sports, for the family, friends and students who support high school athletes, and for the athletes themselves – those individuals who show up for practice, work hard, sacrifice little pieces of their social lives to do something they enjoy. Go Columbine!!! Good luck at State.

November 27^th – Sunday DAY 3

What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for date night. Relationships have a tendency to slow down. We all go through that “giddy” phase…the newness of a relationship is exciting and makes us want to be around that person all the time. We think about them when they are not around. We look forward to each passing minute that draws us near them again. With time, those moments can fade and the routine of life and the relationship itself can set in. Taking a day/night to spend time with one another, takes us back to those initial moments. So today, date night takes the cake. Lunch filled with laughs and a glass of wine on the lap, sneaking in drinks and treats to the movie theatre, and a little Edward, Jacob and Bella on the big screen…..makes for not only a great evening out, but a beautiful recap to those initial moments of our relationship.

November 28^th – Monday DAY 4

What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for pink sunrises. I am not a morning person…not that I am crazy in the morning, but it takes some time and a little coffee to truly get me going. 11am sounds like a much better time to start off my day. Unfortunately my puppies prefer 6am. Today, I staggered out of bed, hooked up some leashes, took the elevator down to the first floor and stepped out to a chilly Monday morning…ready to pull out the green “poop bags” and let the puppies relieve themselves. Still groggy and looking completely fashion challenged in my purple and white striped PJ pants, tan slip on shoes, and my red puffy coat…I step outside to a pink sky. Downtown Denver Hello Kitty style. I couldn’t see the sun itself, but the beautiful sky definitely warranted a pause, a smile and a better start to a Monday.

November 29^th – Tuesday DAY 5

What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for candlelit baths and chicken noodle soup. Working with numerous people definitely exposes me to the world of germs. Chances of getting sick seem to increase in my office and one person’s illness, passes through ¼ of the office in a relatively fast manner. Lucky me - I managed to land some sort of illness. I trudged through work anticipating my home, relaxing in its comfort and trying to nurse away whatever bug made me its home. Remedy: soup and a bath. Lipton doesn’t find its way into my cabinet too often, but today, it not only called my name, but also soothed an unsettled stomach…that rowdy little monster that kept me eyeballing the nearest bathroom all day. With a semi-settled stomach, a surprise candle lit bath was in my future. The warmth of the water, the gentle bubbles and the flicker of fire against the wall was a beautiful end to a rough day.

November 30^th – TODAY DAY 6

What am I thankful for? – I am thankful for my mother passing along her ability of resiliency at getting her way. My mother has a masterful way of getting what she wants. Now, this doesn’t apply to everything in life, but she has managed to skillfully obtain sales, credits, etc. when a situation warrants it. She has passed this along…consistently reminding me to go for it when need be. Today, my mother shined through me. Cable bill came and once again, it was incorrect…a pattern of my monthly statements. The hour long phone call came next…first speaking with a representative who indicated he could not do anything with the fee that was applied for a technician having to come to the home. My mothers words lingered in my ear, “don’t take no for an answer”. Next step, speak to a supervisor. After waiting another 28 minutes to have him on the phone, my magic of gab and directly asking for what I wanted, resulted in that fee being waived. Victory! Thank you mother and thank you cable provider.

I look forward to what the next week brings. My challenge of stopping and giving thanks on a daily basis continues. Any takers?

The Day of Thanks…A Day After

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. It’s the day after Thanksgiving and the impact of turkey and all the fixins’ is probably upon each of us. I must say….Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days in general. The food, family, friends, football and rest couldn’t come at a better time of the year. Spending all day in the kitchen in preparation is well worth it, when that finished product sits proudly on the table. I enjoyed my day and enjoyed hearing many people talk about the things they are thankful for.

Listening to these thanks inevitably reminds me of the various things in my life, for which I am thankful. Sure…I am thankful for the basic tangible things…the TV that keeps me entertained, the I-pod that keeps me rockin’, the clothes that keep me warm and semi-stylish, the car that gets me here and there, the Keurig that gets me started each day and keeps me going, the x-box that keeps me feelin’ like a kid, and the jewelry that serves as my adult “bling”. But it is days like Thanksgiving where stepping back and looking at your life and the life of others, hopefully makes us think outside of the box and look at the things in life that matter…and appreciate those things. I interacted with two individuals on Thanksgiving who have each lost a parent….a mother and a father.

With that being said, I can say that I am most thankful for my family. I work in a field where I see broken homes, broken families, and the impact that can play on individuals. I have been fortunate to have been blessed with phenomenal people in my family. From my mother, to aunts and uncles, to granny and to the cousins…although we each have individual struggles and issues, we have a solid family who care for one another, love one another, would miss one another should we not be here and enjoy the company that one another brings.

I am thankful for my Aunts – they helped raise me along the way, attended sporting events, sent cards and care packages, provided advice, and served as role models in my life. My uncles – for helping me move, ensuring my safety by keeping me posted on the weather when I was traveling, teaching me the “pull my finger” trick, kicking my butt at Jeopardy, and making me love the smell of pipes. My grandmother – for being a second mother to me, sending me cards and gifts in the mail, teaching me about my family that I didn’t know, for the endless hugs and tears that come with each visit home, for the weekly phone calls just to chat, for teaching us how to milk a cow, and for being the unconditional lover in our family. My cousins (there are quite a few) – for the constant laughs, the sibling like relationships, the silly texts and Facebook posts, encouragement, the nicknames, for the Gi-Joe figurines that hung from trees and hold a special memory to me, the vacations, the forever bond that has only grown stronger as we have all grown older. My father – for putting in effort at our relationship now, for giving me my first guitar and trying to pass along his natural musical talent, for giving me a half –sister, as that is my only sibling tie, and for marrying my mother….without that, I wouldn’t be here. My step-father – for being the only father figure I have known for a good chunk of my life, for making me laugh at the crazy things that he says, for loving my mother and building a life with her, as that is the best move he has ever made. And last but not least, my mother.

So often I hear of people losing a parent and I cannot imagine not having my mother in my life. And when I think about what I am thankful for, with regards to her…I have realized it would be easier to write a book, than to try to break it down here. However, to sum it up, I am thankful for – her love, understanding and sacrifice, for struggling as a single mother and working to provide a good life for us both, for not moving when her job pushed it so I could remain close to my family, for supporting all of my decisions, even the ones she disagreed with, for not saying “I told you so” when there were numerous opportunities to do so, for her little cards and gifts for the holidays or just because, for never forgetting my birthday, for helping me financially when I struggled to make ends meet, for keeping my education a priority and pushing me to be a good student, for teaching me the importance of family, for teaching me the importance of responsibility, for the laughs and the late night phone calls, for always providing a roof over my head, for taking me to church even though I seldom wanted to go, for taking care of me when I was sick, for coming to all of my important life events, for letting me be “me” and supporting whatever paths I take in life, for encouraging a relationship with my father, for the family vacations, for the holiday decorations that helped make each holiday special, for being there when I was sad and hurt, for coming to visit so we can spend quality time with one another, for helping me with homework when I was young, for helping with adult homework (ie. Retirement plans, health insurance) now that I am grown, for the honest opinions although they aren’t always easy to hear, for the discipline that helped keep me on the right path when many roads offered the wrong, for making me clean my room and do chores, for instilling in me that you have to work for the things that you truly want, for teaching me that you don’t always get what it is that you want, for leading by example, for the hugs and the tears, for always making me feel special, for encouraging me to follow my dreams, for picking me up when I fall, for trying to make me watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” each Christmas…..for being my rock.

There will be a day where we lose our family members. Appreciate and hold onto each day you have with your loved ones. These days are precious and sadly, time limited. Thanksgiving is a day to remind us of the special things in our lives, however, a holiday should not be the only moment you are thankful. Thanksgiving is over…spend the next 364 being thankful for the things in your life. You don’t want to look back and wished you would have done something different or said something to someone you love and that chance has passed. Each day is a gift.

Thankful for Thanksgiving

It gives me positive pause.

With Thanksgiving approaching, we should all stop forgetting about our little problems. So what if the house is a mess? So what if you have too much to do? We spend so much time wishing that our lives could be better, more fulfilled, easier. It's nice to have a day during which we're required to slow down and remember what's good in our lives in the present, in the here and now.

Here are some of the things for which I'm going to be thankful this Thanksgiving season.

Good music and great concerts. Some really great music was released this year. Wild Flag came out with a sophisticated album that sounded like riot grrrl influenced by adulthood and infusions of tea. Mirah and Thao came out with a kickass album, and an energetic live show to match. I was turned on to Noah and the Whale, and even everybody's favorite (really good!) band Coldplay came out with a new album. On the music front, life is good.

Coffee. I have drunk too much coffee going on for ten years now, but I have never gotten sick of it. That sounds like an addicted person talking, but that's okay!! There are many things that you love and then tire of, but coffee has never been one of those things. Maybe because I need it, but regardless, it's still delicious.

Family. You're always supposed to say that you're thankful for your family on Thanksgiving. But you are. Maybe it's one those rare examples that you're supposed to say it because it's true.

Excellent reading material that will last me long past January 1, 2013. I didn't read as much as I should have this year, but I'll save that kind of self-hating flogging for my New Year's resolutions. The books I did read this year were particularly great: anything by Aimee Bender, the inimitable George Saunder's The Braindead Megaphone, the book-that's-been-on-my-list-forever The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. I also bought enough books to keep me knee-high in reading until I hit my 50's.

Supportive non-relatives. I'm lucky to have a family that supports me in everything I want to do, but sometimes it's nice to have people who aren't you're family support you, too. Because you know that they don't have to see you during Thanksgiving dinner like your mom does, so they definitely mean it. I've had a few of those in my life this year, and I appreciate them more than they know.

What are you thankful for this year?

Target's "Black Friday" starts at midnight

And it has some workers in a tizzy.

Black Friday is a disgusting tradition in which you rouse yourself from your post-tryptophan haze, drive to your nearest shopping destination and battle other women for that need-to-have teddy bear. It ruins the good feelings of Thanksgiving--a holiday all about giving and loving and sharing--and makes you feed the capitalist machine's gaping mouth.

They try to make you feel good about it. Because, you know, the economy sucks.

This year, Black Friday is going to be even more insane. A lot of businesses, including Target, Best Buy, Walmart and Kohl's, are going to open at midnight on Black Friday. In other words, if you have Thanksgiving dinner, they open six hours after you finish your pumpkin pie.

An Omaha, Nebraska Target employee is not happy about this new change. Anthony Hardwick, who has worked at the Omaha Target for about two years, has been assigned a 10-hour overnight shift. He won't be able to have Thanksgiving dinner with his family because he'll be sleeping in preparation for his job. Workers have to arrive at the mega-retailer at 11 p.m. and the company will be paying them holiday pay--time and a half.

Hardwick created a petition on Change.org saying that Target employees deserved to be able to stay at home with their families on Thanksgiving. As of yesterday, Hardwick's petition has received over 150,000 signatures, and each signature is forwarded to Target's CEO and President Gregg Steinhafel.

Target has responded to the petition by saying that the retailer is only giving the people what they want--an opportunity to shop in the middle of the night. They also say that many of their employees are happy with the opportunity to earn time-and-a-half pay.

I think it's sort of silly to call on a huge retailers' morality. They want to make money, and they think that opening at midnight on Black Friday will make them more money. But perhaps Target could at least pretend that they care about retailers' families because families are big business, especially around the holidays. Judging from the huge support and media coverage of this issue, it seems that Target would want to appeal to the "family values" dollar and call off their midnight opening.

However, people who want to get up in the middle of Thanksgiving night and go shopping at Target probably aren't going to care about Target employees and their families. Instead, it would seem that these midnight shoppers probably would have to go to bed around the same time as Hardwick suggested, forgetting about the Thanksgiving holiday entirely in favor of looking ahead towards corporate Christmas.

Do you think that Target is making a smart marketing move by opening at midnight on Black Friday?

Create Your Own Thanksgiving Tradition

Every year, we have turkey, gravy, stuffing, and the rest of the trimmings at our annual family Thanksgiving dinner. A few family members are usually working in retail, and another works as a home health aide, so they may have to leave early—but we’re all usually together, which is the most important thing to me. Still, the same annual food can get boring, and it’s easy to get stuck in a rut of doing the same thing every year. Why not spice it up and create your own new traditions this year?

It doesn’t have to be elaborate. A couple of years ago, we decided that since none of us are particularly religious, we could skip the annual grace we kept when I was a child and instead go around the table naming things that we are grateful for. We sometimes go through the alphabet—with the first person citing something with the letter A, then B, and so on. But usually we just say a few things that we are very grateful for that year.

When we spent Thanksgiving in California the year our daughter was born, we beheld some very different traditions we were very unfamiliar with. My former boss and dear friend had us over for dinner with her family, and with all of the different beverages available—from sparkling water and cider to wine and tea—we had trouble choosing! We were used to drinking plain old tea or water at our Thanksgiving (milk for the children). They also had a turkey prepared very differently than the one we usually had, as well as various unfamiliar sides, soups, and salads. We never had soup or salad at Thanksgiving; in fact, other than occasional homemade vegetable soup, I never had soup or salad together until I was in college. This is the Midwest; meat and potatoes are everything out here.

And if you are uncomfortable inserting new foods into your tradition, you could always try buying a prepared dish from your local grocer or even eating out on Thanksgiving. Many different restaurants offer Thanksgiving deals; one of our local restaurants, a French establishment, is offering traditional Thanksgiving foods with exotic twists that I would be tempted to try if they were not so expensive!

This year we will be adding games to our Thanksgiving dinner, since we had no other open weekends for our monthly game night. Last year, we sang karaoke; either one would be welcome in a group of family or friends.

Make Some Room In That Waistband – There’s A Lot More To Eat

Thanksgiving is a couple weeks away. We slowly plan our holiday menus and prepare for the feast. The day we spend time with loved ones, eating more food than our bodies seem to be able to handle, falling asleep in the recliner, with the faint sounds of whistles and cheers from the football game playing on the television. We nap for a period of time, wake up from our turkey coma, and maneuver our way back to the kitchen to eat a little more.

Thanksgiving is a great holiday but can pose quite the stressor if you are one of those individuals trying to watch their weight or eat as healthy as possible. With the mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, gravy, and casseroles calling your name from across the room, ignoring their anguished pleas…is about as hard as Plymouth Rock itself.

Given that earplugs or earmuffs throughout the meal, can make you look like the “strange relative” that everyone talks about when you leave…it may be best to come up with a different alternative to ignoring the urge to splurge on the unhealthy.

Making things unhealthy does not have to be a complicated process. It may simply mean a little less “processed” and a bit more natural. Take the infamous green bean casserole for example. It calls for green beans, cream of chicken/mushroom soup, and French fried onions. I cannot dispute its deliciousness, yet just because its primary ingredient is a vegetable, doesn’t make it healthy. Like I said, keep it more natural.

Try this option:

1 lb of fresh green beans
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup of nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds – best if you can do cinnamon flavored)
¼ cup fresh rosemary
Black pepper to taste

Preheat oven at 475. Toss all ingredients together. Lay the green beans on a cookie sheet and spread to provide layer on the bottom. Bake for 15 minutes.

A simple recipe yet one that is healthy, delicious, and has less impact on the waistband. Plus, it’s a versatile recipe that can find itself on any of your menus, holiday or not.

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