Thankful....still....

Thanksgiving is over but I am still thankful.

Every day is filled with blessings, if I just look for them. Today was no exception. The sky was blue and the air was clear. Recent rains have taken some of the particulants out of the air we breathe around here.

The mountains were visible and dusted with a coating of pure white snow. It is always a joy to be able to see them. The pansies are blooming profusely and so are the snapdragons. The last tomato is off the vine, thanks to the recent freeze.

I went shopping today and found the perfect gift for my son. I finished off the last of the turkey by making soup. The house is in chaos but that's fine: I'm decorating for Christmas!

Life is good. I just have to remember that. Every day.

Simple Joys...

I wake up with a head full of thoughts. Thoughts about the weekend, the week, Christmas, family. Thoughts about what I need to do today. And tomorrow.

It's cold; there's frost on the lawn. I turn up the heat and pull on something warm. Still thinking about a myriad of things, I walk out into the kitchen.

Little stirrings coming from the laundry room: the girls are awake. As I walk over to the laundry room door I see them: tails wagging, front paws on the “baby gate” that keeps them in the laundry room. I greet them with a “good morning” and they respond in soprano howls of joy.

The morning routine: I open the other laundry room door and the girls race across the family room floor, and out the doggie door. Cinnamon, the alpha dog, always goes first. Then little Ginger. Once out the door, they turn around and wait for my hand to come through the door, holding a doggie cookie.

Grabbing their cookie, they head off to their doggie bed on the patio to enjoy their treat. That's it; that's the routine and the daily morning joy. They don't think about other things, or other times.

A new day. Mom's here. And a cookie. In their world, life is good.

Simple joys....

Finding My Grace...

Each day is a new beginning. A new chance to do what we want with our lives. Yesterday's mistakes are history. Tomorrow's triumphs aren't here yet. Today is all we have.

As usual, I woke up this morning feeling hopeful. I am not a negative person, most of the time. I am on a journey today. A journey to find my grace. By grace, I mean a generous spirit, given to tolerance, willing to accommodate, and fully capable of forgiveness.

Today, I will give more than I get. I will err on the side of kindness. I will forgive others without fail, and I will forgive myself for my own failures. I will look for the best in those people I see today, and I will find my own goodness, too.

Grace is not hard to define, nor is it elusive. Other things just seem to get in the way. Not today.

Today, I will find my grace....

Win or Lose?

I'm watching college football this morning. There are old rivalries being played out. Chances to play in the bowl games are on the line. Seniors playing their last college games.

Last night, I watched another game: Boise State was supposed to win. I guess nobody remembered to tell Nevada. After Boise's early lead of 24-0, Nevada came back to win in overtime. Boise State dropped to fourth place in their conference.

One game made the difference between consideration to play a bowl game and being in fourth place. Interestingly, the kicker for Nevada made the win, with a well-placed kick. The kicker for Boise State missed two field goals, for the loss.

Competition. It's inherent in every day. Watching the jubilee of the winning team, versus the shock and disappointment of the other team, makes me wonder about competition. Probably, it brings out the best performance in the players. But does a score overshadow the effort?

I remember being told that it doesn't matter if you win or lose, it's how you play the game. If life is a game, of sorts, I want to be remembered for playing by the rules, being respectful of the other players, and giving the game my best performance.

Win or lose....

Sunny Today....

It's a beautiful, sunlit morning full of hope and promise. It's very cold outside but inside the house, all is warm and cozy. What plans today? What needs to be done? Anything?

Of course, there are always things that need to be done. That's part of maintaining a household. But what really, truly has to be done today? If we want to go to the snow, or travel to the beach, would it matter if those things get done, or not?

Setting priorities allows me to take back parts of the day that would otherwise be owned by others. Today is mine and I will share only small parts of it with the things I have to do.

I will think kind thoughts about those who are important to me and I will find forgiveness for those who are not. I will close the door on the negativity of the past few months.

I will remember that every ending is a new beginning.

Today is mine, and I will seize it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is a day to think about all the things that we are thankful for. Better yet, we should be thinking about them, and thankful for them, every day.

Of course, I'm thankful for my family and friends, for my good health, for the things that I have enjoyed in my life, and for each day that I am given.

Though I am not thankful for the sad times, I am thankful that I have found the strength to survive them. Why? It is part of life. No life would be complete without some measure of sadness. Some times of sorrow.

How else would I know how lucky I am? What would be my measuring stick? Highs are not highs unless there are lows, too. So yes, I am thankful for all the tears I have ever shed. All the love I have lost. The loved ones who have left this world. The strength I have found to survive the disappointments.

Life in balance. Lived fully. For this, I give my heartfelt thanks.

When Yesterday's Memories Meet Tomorrow's Dreams...

I woke up this morning thinking about Thanksgivings past. I remember some things very well, and others, not at all. I do remember that it became less than fun when I was a young mommy. Hauling babies from one parent's house and then to the other's. It was a lot of work.

From that work, came the determination to have Thanksgiving dinner at home. My home. I announced my intentions at the dinner table, at my mother's house, as we ate dry turkey and baked tacos. No potatoes: “they're fattening.” No vegetables: “you know I don't like vegetables!” No rolls, no pumpkin pie, no gravy. Just dry turkey and baked tacos.

Born of that experience are all the memories of later Thanksgivings. The meal, the preparations, the decorations. And yes, the exhaustion afterwards. But I was happy: my work erased the earlier memories. The meal was a gift to my family; a “thank you” for being in my life.

And it still is. Old memories merge with newer ones. Expectations are reachable. And dreams flourish.

At what point do old memories paralyze us and alter our dreams? Do they? Do memories serve to guide us? Is it a means of correcting past mistakes? Or creating future memories?

Nothing can change what has happened in the past. Remembering it, to some degree, is helpful. But today is a new day and tomorrow is a new Thanksgiving celebration. It will be what we choose to make it; nothing more, nothing less.