A Thankful Heart

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. While I sit at our dining room table, and think about what will need to be done tomorrow to prepare for this annual day devoted to giving thanks, I thought about the multitude of things that I have to be thankful for.

For most anyone, this is not a new concept, and generally Thanksgiving brings on thoughts of sentimental awareness of all the things in our lives we take for granted the other 364 days of the year. I started thinking about what it may take to have a thankful heart and a thankful spirit every day of the year. Often, I think it is easier to reach for anger, blame, frustration, annoyance, irritation, or ego-boosting, rather than be humble and have humility for the many things we have in our lives. I confess, that I am often the person that reaches for anger, or frustration, rather than taking the time to calm myself and feel something more genuine or Spirit-like in those moments. This year, with all the things that are going on in the world, and in my little corner of the universe I was one again struck by my fallible nature, and how I would rather give myself grace than someone else. How terrible is it, that as humans our first instinct is to provide for ourselves first and tout our own hardships and the things we have been able to overcome, but criticize and judge someone else's struggle and wonder why they aren't doing it faster or better?

I think my goal for this year, and the years to come, will be to start offering grace more freely, and giving thanks every day for all the things that I have, and that I may have. I realize what a challenge lies ahead of me, but how rich will my reward be, when I can say I've tried, and succeeded in showing others love, grace, compassion, caring, gentleness, and that I've been able to humble myself and offer thanks for the blessings I have received.

This year, I am thankful for many things. My family, for one. We have been richly blessed this year, with two special new faces and spirits, but also for the family I am building now, in this moment. The foundation blocks that we are laying together will be the support that our family will rest the burdens of it's furture generations on. I am thankful for my family's enduring spirit of kindness and support, and their sense of humor.

I am thankful for my dog, Apollo, even as he lays on the carpet and grunts in his sleep, I am thankful for his devoted spirit and his love of life and the simple way he inspires me to care more deeply for something other than myself.

I am thankful for the homes that I have. The shelter that they provide for my spirit and my heart, and the encouragement and welcome I feel whenever I walk through the door. I am thankful for the memories I have of my homes, in Chico, and in Rancho Cucamonga, because it is the memories that we cherish and nurture. It's also where many funny things have happened that have provided many fun stories to share! :)

I am thankful for Scott. He is so many things, things he's not even aware that he does, but he is everything for me. I am thankful that I have someone, at least on this earth, who is willing to be my everything.

And lastly, I am thankful for TURKEY! How can you have a thankful heart, without sharing it over some delicious turkey this year!! I will miss my sister Larissa fighting her son Kace for the turkey leg, but I think it will be wonderful holiday and I'm thankful for the blessings of the food that we will have this year, and how it always feels like the holidays when turkey is cooking.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!