Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Today is about those moments I'm increasingly adding to my life. It's about gratitude. It's amazing how much richer your life is when you take the time to be grateful for the blessings. I can honestly say I am a happier person all the way down to the soul level for having taken the time each day to recognize the wonderful blessings of my life. So many, so much, so thankful.

Of course, as always, I'm thankful for the wonders of my family. My boys are little people that give so much to me without even knowing it. They have opened a whole demention in my life that did not exist prior to their arrival. I knew I always hoped they would be in my life, and now that they are here, I can only thank God for the blessing of them. They offer me the ability to love more deeply then I ever thought possible, to grow in my heart and soul in ways I never knew I would, to feel more then I ever dreamed was available. That is not to say that all moments are bliss, because that is far from the case. But even in those hard moments, I can say I have had the feeling, whatever it is, and that's better to me then living a life unfulfilled. Mine without my boys would have been less whole. Since each person knows what works for them, what fulfills them, each can say what is best for them. I completely understand and respect people's decision not to have children in their lives on a daily basis either by circumstances or choice. But my life, in my time would have felt wholly unfulfilled without them. So, I am grateful that they are here.

I am thankful for the blessing of my husband. He's also one of those wonderful people in my life who allow me to feel things I never knew I could. I love him in a deep and wholehearted way, I care for his soul and know with great joy that he cares for mine. All my boys offer me the chance to give the love that was always within me, and I am so very thankful for that. Not only is he my husband, my love, but also my best friend. We truly enjoy each other's company, laugh together, brainstorm together and plan our future together. I am so thankful that at no time in our lives do we only "tolerate" each other as I see other couples do, only bearing the other. Oh, my life has grown immeasurably since the first day of a new job when I saw him and said "WHO'S that??" to my coworker. That was over 11 years ago and we're loving, enjoying, laughing, knowing, caring, commisurating, dreaming, learning and sharing our lives. That is not to say that every moment is easy-it is not-but we have grown enough together as a couple to weather the rough spots, and allowed each other enough individual identity to not lose who we are in the process. And a sense of humor doesn't hurt either. Yes, Dr. Phil, he's my safe place to fall.

I'm thankful for my friends that offer me the chance to love, to have fun, to care about someone other then my immediate family, to give and get advice, to listen, to talk, to laugh with, to cry with, to be joyful with and to share with. I honestly believe that friends are the family we chose for ourselves. I take moments to recognize the very valuable gift friendship is in my life.

I'm thankful for the rest of my family, extended, near and far. They offer me the chance to have the past, recognize the past, learn and grow from the past. To feel comfortable in a way that only people who've known you your whole life could do. With my family, I now understand what a gift that is. To not have to feel like everything I say or do (and let's face it folks, I'm fairly out there, what you see is what you get) is judged. That's not to say that they accept it with a "That's great!" to my every emotion, but have allowed me the safety to know I could express those feelings and not have them be taken as who I am on a soul level. They recognize that the emotion in the moment is not me, but only a part of me, and for that I am grateful. I will always be thankful for my mother and father and sister's love in my life, I don't take them for granted and know that they are special in their own ways. Ahh, they are all special in their own ways for sure.

I am thankful for many other things as well, I'll name a few quickly. I'm thankful for the job my husband has not been laid off from in this tough economy, I'm thankful for the blessing of my job that allows me so much freedom for the time with my boys that is so important to our family right now. I'm grateful for the warm home I live in on it's beautiful 3 acres, the town we're growing to love, the right school for Maestro and the courage to make the move to allow that to happen for him, the right preschool for Little Red, who is flourishing in his environment, the teachers who recognize the wonderfulness that is my boys, the beautiful country that surrounds me, the opportunities for growing food and eating the way we know is best for the planet, the friends that help make that possible, enough money to get us through and the help when that wasn't always the case, the maple trees that cast their fiery show every autumn and give us syrup for our pancakes, the food that is so abundant everywhere in our country and the skills to make my own and enough money to buy what I can't, healthy family, oh so thankful for healthy family, the car that safely gets me where I want to go, the eyes to take the photos I love to take, the brain to think clearly enough to write what I want to say...you see, the list could go on and on. I am so very thankful for so many things. This thankfulness allows me the ability to give back what I receive, to live a life uncommon.

Thank you for reading, and bearing with me on my walk down thankfulness on this, the Eve of Thanksgiving. May you enjoy bountiful food, blessings and love in your day. Take a moment to be thankful for all you have and all you are to another.

With abiding thankfulness, ~Peacemom