Thankful Thursday

Like many of us, I often count my good fortunes during the holiday season. It begins with Thanksgiving and standing around the family table sharing our blessings. And is carried through to Christmas and my gratitude for the special gifts I am able to give and receive.

But this year is different for me. I am more grateful than I've ever been and the place where it is coming from is more pure-of-heart. This year I am GRATEFUL. I FEEL GRATEFUL. And it's not because things are great and it's easy to be thankful.

My husband left his job this spring. He wasn't happy and it just wasn't right. And it was a little scary. Financially, we were fine. But when all of the money is going out and nothing is coming in, that's a little disconcerting. Now that the dust has settled and he has a job he loves, I am so grateful for the time that he was home. He was able to spend time with his kids in a way that most working parents never get. I'm also grateful that he had the courage to follow his dream. Ever since I met my husband he has talked about working in this new field. And when the opportunity knocked, he flung the door wide open and welcomed it with a huge embrace. I'm really proud of him for that.

I'm grateful for my kids. My oldest is a challenge to me as a parent. Before he was born, I wasn't too concerned about my abilities to discipline and nurture. A couple of time-outs here, some stern words there.... How hard could it be, right? Hah! All of the old perceptions I had about how to mold and shape a child don't work with him. Elliot is making me grow as a person and as a parent. Every day I practice patience, creative thinking and self-esteem boosting (both for him and me). I'm grateful for the challenge because I hope I will be a better person for having been a parent to him.

This year, as in years past, a group of my girlfriends and I helped sponsor a family in need by providing them with presents and grocery store gift cards. Buying gifts for people who can't afford to buy their own always makes me feel blessed. We have so much, so why don't we share a little? This year, because of my husband's job situation, I chose not to help financially. Instead, I was the elf who wrapped and delivered all of the presents. This experience made me feel more blessed and grateful than I've ever felt in all the years I just bought the gifts. I'm so grateful that we have a home, that we can pay our bills and that we can get jobs and support ourselves. And I'm grateful for people, like my girlfriends, who are there to help if you fall.

It is too easy to focus on the things in our lives that aren't going well - your husband doesn't have a job, your child is a challenge and you can't afford to buy gifts for those less fortunate. But it is true that every cloud has a silver lining - you just have to know where to look. If you can just change your focus from what isn't right to what is, you'll realize that you have so much more to be thankful for than you ever imagined!