Thankful Thoughts

Thanksgiving is definitely a time to be reflective for what you have and indeed I am thankful everyday for what I have and who I am.

We took some food and pies down to the Fire/Police station in our city to say thanks for all they do. It was a small token of our appreciation, I don't put my life on the line for my job and sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the negativity that we forget that at the end of the day, we are all trying.


We then left and headed down to Honey Creek where we have been spending our thanksgivings for the last several years, this will be our fourth. It is a great time, the kids get to swim and the food is always good. This year we stayed in one of their cabins, which was nice. I've mentioned in my previous blogs that I would like a tiny home and while we were in the cabin, it was nice to hear from the kids and hubby that the cabin was plenty of room. The hub then measured it and we figured it was 875 sq ft, now this is not by any means considered "tiny," but for a family of four, there is no way we could move into one of those tiny homes where it is no more than 200 sq ft. Yet for me, hoping to downsize, I feel like it was a success to hear those words. We enjoyed our stay, the kids did snow angels in the freshly covered ground in their swimsuits and then came running into the cabin filled with laughter.

I have much to be thankful for - in the past two months some friends have lost loved ones - sisters, life partners, and it makes you appreciate even more how precious life is. I have my health, my children, my husband, and my family and friends. I'm tremendously grateful for all the blessings and experiences in my life that help shape me into the person I am.

Over the last few months, I've been reading several books, one of which is titled "The Joy of Living," and so far it has been a book that resonates with my heart and one that I have been trying to implement into my daily living. There have been a few passages that have had some type of impact for me, the first was "that there is only one possible motive behind someone's behavior: the desire to feel safe or happy. And if people say or do something hurtful, it is because they don't feel safe or happy."
Sometimes it is so hard for us to remember such a simple truth, but it is something I have been trying to remind myself when I find myself questioning certain behaviors and something I had to recently explain to my kids when their feelings were hurt by someone, having to explain that even though something horrible was said, they can't take it personally and they have to realize that something within that person brings them unhappiness (whether it is realized or not). I struggle with trying to remember this when they come to us and share their feelings because my initial feeling is anger, but then I try to focus on the bigger picture and see it for what it is, but trying to explain this can also be a challenge. So, I allow my kids to feel their emotion, but remind them that they have to be the rainbow in someone else's cloud, which Maya Angelou said at her speech at Drake University. When I asked my wee man if he said anything back, he said, "it was hard because I was so shocked and all I wanted to do was yell what is wrong with you and hit him, but I said nothing." And I told him he handled it perfectly. I have great kids and I can only hope that they grow into kind and generous individuals. 

The other passage was.."is simply remember that the universe is filled with an infinite number of beings and to think, Just as I want happiness, all beings want happiness. Just as I wish to avoid suffering, all beings wish to avoid suffering. I am just one person, while the number of other beings is infinite. The well-being of this infinite number is more important than that of one."  which I felt was appropriate to share on a day where we are reflective. I have an abundance of love that surrounds me and sometimes I feel how did I ever get so lucky when there are so many others that are more deserving or in need.

So, however you spend this day I hope it is joyful and full of many blessings!

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” Marcel Proust