thanksgiving [2012]

It's true...I've been given more and better than I ever dreamed possible. And, my hope is that you have too. We've got so much in this life. When things in this life seem tough we have to hope and believe that they will get better. We have too much in life to be grateful for to let the little things (even when they seem big) rob us of the joy of each moment. May we have a perspective through every day we're given of gratitude, so that we become more joyful. That as we count the gifts we've been given, our perspective will change, giving us joy and changing our lives.

a few of my gifts:

a husband I adore, who adores and supports me intensely

a life full of BIG and little adventures

a family who I get to live close to and also have a close relationship with

friends, near and far, old and new...

and a year that's revealed the beauty of true relationships to me

and mostly...the journey of a new life being readied within me.

veteran's day

[photo merge by my sis]

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." -Elmer Davis

Happy Veteran's Day! (yesterday was the actual day but it feels like today since the banks, post offices, schools, etc are closed) 

I am blessed that there were two veterans I was raised very close to. Both my maternal grandmother and grandfather served in World War II. I look at photos like these ones and think about the risks that they took, hoping they would pay off both for their country and their futures. I think about how brave they were to go off to serve at such a young age and about what it gave to our country as a whole but also to our family. 

To them, and all veterans, I am forever grateful. 

gratitude

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

-Thornton Wilder

There are days that go by when we wonder why on earth things happen the way that they do. Then there are other days when everything is normal. Nothing grand, nothing too bland. Then there are days like today. Days when you think about your life. All that you've been given, all that you've desired and hasn't been a part of your life, and all the gifts that you've been given without a thought prior of how much you might want them. Things that are so great and you never even imagined could be part of your life. Today is one of those days for me. A day when I think about my life and I am amazed that it is my own; that I am the one who gets to live it. I am blessed and today I have the perspective to see just how blessed I am. A perspective of gratitude goes a long way. 

gratitude for health

[artwork done by and for by way of ney]
[skull drawing by Jesse Young]

It is always good to have reminders that put life in perspective. That seems to be the theme of my life this year. The most recent reminder is about contentment. Being content with who I am and what I have. I was talking to one of my best friends yesterday and we were discussing our physical bodies. Not our body image and what we think about how we look. Our conversation was focused more on what our bodies give us and where they let us down. It seems like it's been a long time since I felt rested, fully rested. 

(Sidebar: I have felt better in the last few months of doing Pilates multiple times a week than I have in a long time. I sleep better, and more importantly, wake better. I move better, and feel stronger in so many ways. Sure, my body is changing as well but the greatest part is the way I feel.) 

Anyway, she got me thinking about how good we really have it. We were laughing because she is pregnant and has been truly exhausted as the little life grows and develops inside of her. She said, "Now that I am going through this it makes me realize how really good I felt before." And I'm sure that's true of me. There are plenty of days when I think I feel slow to rise, slow to start, lagging during the middle of the day, and waiting for bedtime. 

I realize now how lucky I really am. Lucky to have this body. This body lets me work and play and do both hard, and well. It lets me play volleyball every Wednesday, soccer every Sunday and work hard through my Pilates program. It lets me run around and play with the little kids in my life, toss them in the air and laugh like crazy. It lets me walk off daily stresses by the beach and rest well through the night. It lets me love hard and feel much and supports my body, my mind and mostly my spirit. Without the gift that this body is, I wouldn't be able to live the life that I do, the one I feel called to live. 

This conversation with my best friend wasn't meant to be a deep or thought-provoking one. It was just a comment about realizing how good I've got it now while my body is working well and supporting all of me. One day, hopefully, my body will help me support and grow another life. For now, it's just me. 

I'm grateful for the perspective that she gave me in this short conversation. 

Grateful for the healthy body that I have. 

Grateful for the life I get to live.

No matter the state of our bodies, we've got to be grateful for what we've be given, no?

thanksgiving [2011]

I have abounding gratitude for:

1] my husband and his endless support, generosity and encouragement

2] my ever-affirming family

3] my distant but never-ending friendships

4] my close and consistent friends (some new, some from as far back as preschool)

5] new ventures & the new adventures that they bring

6] beautiful lifelong memories & the opportunity to create those for others

7] a house that feels like a home and a safe harbor

8] a body that allows me the lifestyle that I want

9] an new online community that I didn't know existed until a few months ago

10] not least; the GOD-GIVEN PERSPECTIVE TO SEE THE BLESSED LIFE I'VE BEEN GIVEN