I was raised by parents who taught us to count our blessings. I try to remember to do it daily. I usually do it multiple times a day. During the month of American Thanksgiving, I like to share a little of that gratitude more publicly than usual.
11/1
Grateful to be blessed
with the opportunity to be a mother to two precious little girls.
11/2
Grateful for a job
opportunity that sparked an interest and led to a career with a company filled
with great people. It'll be 20 years on 12/17. :-)
11/3
'Twas grace that taught
my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believ'd!
I am grateful for grace.
11/4
Grateful for friendships,
longtime and new. Grateful for how they broadened my horizons, strengthened my
resolve, opened my heart and mind, provided me with encouragement and shown me
patience and forgiveness (and helped me practice those things). Grateful for
the shared experiences both joyful and sad. Grateful for the lessons in the
unique sort of love that stems from friendship.
11/5
Grateful for
laughter--the sound coming from my little girls, the sore muscle from the belly
laughs when I get together with my silly peeps, the inappropriate stifled
snickers during church or a corporate meeting, the silent, tears rolling down
the cheeks sort of giggle fits, the blasting bahhahas. I love them all and love
to hear them and am so very glad there are moments in nearly every day that
seem to be filled with them.
11/6
Grateful for the women
who came before me to break down the walls and barricades and stupid laws to
ensure I can vote today.
Grateful, too, to live in a republic in which I
can freely take part in electing the people I want to represent me and guide
the direction of my local and federal government. While it may not feel like my
vote always counts, I know that it is more than a right and it is an important
responsibility.
11/7
Grateful (always
grateful) that no matter how unlovable or even unlikable I have been I have
never known a time when I did not have a family that loves me. I am grateful to
have grown up surrounded by unconditional love and grateful to know it exists
even beyond the safe and known realm of my family.
11/8
Grateful for having my mother for 23 years and
360 days.
My mother embodied grace, love, kindness,
integrity and humility.
A natural teacher with great intelligence, she
viewed the world as a place of learning and took every opportunity to expand
her horizons and teach her daughters to love learning, particularly through
experiencing.
She had a heart so big that it loved
everyone--really. If she could not think of at least one good thing to
say about a person, she would simply say, "I just don't know him/her well
enough."
She saw the potential for goodness and greatness in everyone. She held her
daughters accountable for their behavior, their efforts and their results.
From her I inherited a great deal of my compulsion to create, to DO things and
to serve. My goodness, did she know how to serve. In support of my father's
military career, she chose the route of stay home mother but that did not mean
she stayed home. Girl Scout leader, substitute teacher, camp counselor, PTA
officer, Academic Booster Club leader, museum volunteer, OWC, Sunday School
teacher, adult literacy teacher, reader for the blind, transcriber for the
blind, chaperone, school play costume maker, base Santa Claus and Easter bunny
costume maker, bake sale queen, ESL teacher, homeless shelter volunteer...I
could go on and on. And while doing all those things, she made our many
different homes warm, inviting places, was a loving wife, an engaged mother, a
devoted daughter and gracious sister, and a thoughtful and considerate friend
to so many people.
From my mother I learned to be grateful for even little things, to forgive even
the big things, to make the most of what you have and to never sacrifice
quality for quantity. She taught me that doing things well and doing things
right were their own reward, so while appreciation and recognition are nice
they should never be the motivator nor an expectation.
She was not flashy or loud, clearly I inherited that from another part of our
family, but she was strong and brave and confident.
Some folks might think it sad that she left us much too soon, and it is. But
for almost 24 years I had that kind of mother and I am keenly aware of how very
fortunate I am. I am extremely grateful.
11/9
Grateful for my father, Phil. He is an amazing
and incredible human being. He just keeps getting better as person, which is
something special since he’s always been a great person. He has simply chosen a
path of continuous discovery and with each experience he adapts and
grows.
His childhood was the kind people write books
about as case studies about how hard life can be. Yet he still knows how to
enjoy things from a child’s perspective—you should see him with his
grandchildren. They adore him. He really plays with them, on his hands and
knees, hair bows in his hair, foam swords at the ready and surrounded by geo
tracks. He is present with them and still connects to the “wonder and fun” of
life. And my sister and I have great memories of play and laughter and
silliness with our father. Our father’s sense of play and fun and silly
definitely has kept him young at heart.
He has led by example, showing integrity, patience, discipline, responsibility
and wisdom. He is a wonderfully fun person but he knows when and where to be
serious. He has stood up to authority when morality and ethical principles were
at stake and did not back down, regardless what it cost him professionally and
personally.
Like my mother, he loves learning. He reads with great passion, relishes new
experiences and has never let go of the wonder in this world. Their shared
devotion to experiencing the world around them is deeply ingrained in their
daughters.
From my father I inherited a deep and passionate love of music. Even my very
eclectic taste can be attributed to him. And his great love of song and dance
can be seen not only in his daughter but in his granddaughters.
He taught me that the coolest of people where the ones who know exactly who
they are and embrace that—geek, princess, jock, leader, follower, whatever. And
like my mother, he sees the great potential within people.
His heart is enormous and his capacity to heal himself and others with love is
powerful to behold.
He showed me what a good husband was supposed to be—devoted and loving and true
partner with distinct personality, interests and passions. As a father he was
present, engaged and took pleasure helping raise his daughters. And as a
grandfather to my children—there is none better.
His life has not always been easy (sometimes it was downright awful) and he has
been handed some thorny branches but he carries not even an ounce of
bitterness. For him life is sweet and his vision is as infectious as his
laughter.
I am truly blessed and so very grateful to have such a man for my daddy
11/10
Grateful for my
stepmother, Grace.
As a CPA and longtime single mother, she pushed
through glass ceilings and helped redefine the role of women and mothers in the
workforce. Her skill, work ethic and high standards paved the way for women
like me, who could enter the workforce just assuming we belonged there.
She accepts and loves my father the way he
deserves to be loved and she let my father love her the way she deserves to be
loved and the way he needs to love.
She is a loving and spoiling (despite herself)
grandmother and a supportive and encouraging mother and a great friend.
She is a remarkable woman in a thousand
different ways and I am grateful to have her in my life and in my family.
11/11
Grateful for the men and women who served in our
armed forces and to their families for the sacrifices made in the defense of
peace and our nation.
11/12
Grateful for music--it tames the savage beasts (and
the crankiest of my moods), brings joy to heart of many, and is a universal
language through which we can all connect.
11/13
Grateful for babies. In them is our
future--the next big thing, the next great thing, the opportunity for amazing
things. In them, one can see a miracle.
And, today, I'm especially grateful for the arrival of a new baby girl and send
love and cheer to her parents.
11/14
Grateful
that people who are called to teach answer that call. So pleased to have so
many friends who are in this noble and too frequently underappreciated
profession
11/15
Grateful for modern medicine and the people
who practice medicine!
(yes, the migraine is gone--thoroughly killed by modern meds, client visit a
success)
11/16
Grateful for my sister, Casey.
She spent almost 25
years as an only child, not having to share her mother with anyone. She has
adapted beautifully to having share her mother with two sisters and our father.
She and her husband have provided my girls with cousins they adore. She was
even so thoughtful as to have her son born with red hair, so I could delight in
someone else in my family sharing my hair color. (My nephew has,
since, stubbornly become a towhead and refuses to go red again but now I've got
two of my own so I'll forgive him). She's a fun travel companion, guaranteed to
go out on the dance floor with you, a source of inspiration and advice and an all-around
terrific person. It is a great blessing to have her in my life and my family.
y family sharing my hair color. (My nephew has, since, stubbornly become a
towhead and refuses to go red again but now I've got two of my own so I'll
forgive him). She's a fun travel companion, guaranteed to go out on the dance
floor with you, a source of inspiration and advice and an all around terrific
person. It is a great blessing to have her in my life and my family.
11/17
Grateful for miracles big and small and the
loving God behind them all
11/18
Grateful for the weird road that led us to
northern Alabama. It's a great blessing to live close to family and to make new
friends, and it's extra special to make friends who feel like family.
Plus, the weather today 11/18 was sunny, mid 60s. just saying.
11/19
Grateful for a cozy home with climate
control and a stocked fridge and pantry.
11/20
Grateful for silly, ol' Facebook letting me
connect and reconnect and on various levels share, get to know and/or get a
peek in the lives of people who have crossed my path over the years. It doesn't
replace face to face contact but it does make a big world a little smaller and
I really do appreciate that.
11/21
Grateful for traditions. They connect us
with our past while we enjoy our present.
Pass the sweet potato casserole
11/22
Happy
Thanksgiving! Grateful for friends and family, food and fun and the fact my dad
and Jeffrey are totally in charge of the meal!
11/23
Grateful for extra-long weekends
11/24
Grateful for a creative streak and even
happier to see it has been passed on to my children.
11/25
Grateful for the resilience of children.
They flourish and thrive despite and in spite of the mistakes and failures of
their parents.
11/26
Grateful for an internal clock that woke up
on time to get Monday started off properly even though I forgot to set an
alarm.
11/27
Eight years ago today, I married my Mister.
Grateful for a husband who can do almost anything--build, cook, fix, hunt,
protect, snuggle and so much more. Grateful for a father to my girls who is present
in their lives. Grateful for a partner in life and love and parenthood.
11/28
Grateful for all the wonder and magic of
the holiday season.
11/29
Grateful to have so much for which I can be
grateful that sometimes its hard to decide what should make a post.
11/30
My last installment for the month of
Thanksgiving and 30 days of public gratitude:
I am grateful for my baby sister, Elise.
She
is amazing. She inspires me, encourages me, raises me up and keeps me grounded
all at the same time. She is smarter than I am, but I’m the big sister, so to
keep my big sister authority I work hard to have just enough knowledge to be
able to offer her useful advice from time to time. I read more just so I can
keep up my end of a conversation with her.
Her bravery humbles me. I have an artistic streak, but she has the heart of an
artist. She has sacrificed much to be true to that heart and it amazes me what
she capable of doing. With all the sacrifice an artist’s life requires, she has
never compromised her principles or character. She may sometimes feel small but
her heart is enormous. If she had only $5 to her name and you needed $4, she’d
give it to you. Never big on material things, she does like to surround herself
with beautiful things—primarily art and books. While I may sometimes question
her taste in shoes—no one can rock a platform sneaker like her.
She isn’t always easy to get to know but every bit worth the effort. To her
nieces and nephews she is fun with legs and arms and a thousand voices for
storytelling—they adore her and she showers them with love and affection.
There is no one who is more like me and simultaneously so diametrically
different. I am so thankful to have been blessed with a sister like her.
Now, if she’d only move closer so she could babysit and I could borrow her
shoes...
