Grateful for Reconnections with Old Friends

Image by Coneee via FlickrI know I am not the first one to say this, but Facebook rocks. I have reconnected with so many people from so many different chapters of my life that it feels nothing less than miraculous. It is such a simple format (which I am sure is a big part of its charm for many, many people all over the world.) It really makes me happy and feels like such a huge gift.

I have only just started using it and can see that I have barely tapped in to its full potential, and I can't wait to keep exploring more, to keep reconnecting, and just to keep enjoying it to the fullest!

Grateful for Yesterday!

Image by bitchcakesny via FlickrYesterday was Christmas. It went very well. I feel grateful (yet again). My Dad commented that he felt great about the whole day/experience from the first moment he stepped into the house. It was a great day, with only a few mishaps along the way. This is to be expected with young kids, of course.

I cooked, and though I'm not a great cook by any stretch of the imagination, everyone licked their platters clean and said they enjoyed the meal. It's always fun/funny to see how kids react to their gifts. They really loved them... some more than others of course. Every day is a gift. I'm grateful for my health and for the health of everyone I love.

I wish everyone a great holiday season!

Tell The People You Love How Much You Love Them On a Regular Basis

Image by drp via FlickrDon't hold back. Don't keep your feelings of love and gratitude to yourself. We need to celebrate the people we love every single day. We need to say the words "I love you" and "I am so happy that you are in my life."

People need to feel cared for and appreciated, especially the people we love the most in this world, our friends and family members. Life is short. I started a gratitude blog because I think gratitude begets more gratitude, and the expression of gratitude begets...you guessed it...the expression of even more gratitude (always a good thing).

Don't save up your expressions of appreciation for a "rainy day." Don't be "stingy" with your love. Shout it from the rooftops! There is an abundant, never-ending supply of love, so there is no need to hold back.

Gratitude for My Parents

Right now my parents are staying with us for a few days. They are the sweetest people in the world and I feel very lucky to have them. Extremely lucky. Luckier than I could ever possibly describe in words, actually.

I mean I might be the luckiest person in the world when it comes to parents. I kind of won the parent lottery. Other people are always telling me how lucky I am to have the parents I have.

And I agree, wholeheartedly.

Christmas Tree

Image via WikipediaThis is kind of silly. I'm a grown up, after all. But I am so grateful for our Christmas tree. It just makes me happy. Seriously. If I want to relax, all I need to do is sit in the living room near the tree, and I'm in seventh heaven.

There's something about all those blinking lights, and all those decorations that we have accumulated over the years. All the family history symbolized by those ornaments. Maybe because the country is going through such a tough time, I feel an extra need to de-stress. I think we all do.

Try just "hanging out" near your tree for a little while today. You might be surprised by just how comforting and therapeutic this simple act can be.

The Big Day of Gratitude!

Image by Tonyç via FlickrHi All,

It is here! The actual day that celebrates everything this blog is about: Thanksgiving.

I give thanks for: my wonderful family. This includes not only my husband and kids, but also my parents, my brother, and all of my other wonderful relatives. I am so very lucky to have all of you in my life.

I give thanks for my good health and for the good health of those I love.

Now it's time to enjoy a good meal together.

Thank you!

Grateful Mom

The Day Before Thanksgiving

Image by alex lichtenberger via FlickrToday is special because I'm already gearing up to be crazy/ultra/mega-thankful tomorrow, the biggest gratitude day of the whole year.

It's comforting to think about all I have to be grateful for. I wish you and yours an amazing Thanksgiving Day.

Thankful every day for health and happiness

Image by sophiea via FlickrWhen it comes to parenting, I am grateful for the smallest things, because I am only too aware of how good I have it. My children are healthy and happy. There really is nothing more important than that.

Really.

I can remember talking to an old childhood friend. She had just recently lost a dear friend of hers to cancer. And she said something along the lines of: "Our health is all that really matters."

I would only add that our happiness matters, too. After that, everything else is gravy, bonus point.

soccer mom

Image via WikipediaGrowing up, it never dawned on me that I'd become a soccer mom. But here I am, and it's a lot of fun. The whole program is run by volunteers, all parents of the players, and I volunteer for their board of directors. What's so great about youth sports programs is that they just keep going, no matter what.

The economy is going to pieces, the upcoming presidential election has taken over the news every night. But on Saturdays, the kids get together to play soccer and the parents coach and cheer them on, and nothing interrupts this wonderful town tradition that goes on in cities and towns all across the United States every weekend in the fall and spring.

There is something very peaceful and reassuring about a program that goes on and on despite everything that is going on around us all of the time. It gives the kids a sense of consistency, which is so good for them, and it gives the parents a nice distraction from all that is going on in the world.

Since the focus of this blog is gratitude, I just wanted to write about how grateful I am for our town's youth soccer program.

My kids say the funniest things...

Image by mikebaird via FlickrThe other day my daughter was playing with her Aunt, who happens to be a petite person.

When her Aunt went into the next room, she asked, "Where did that little girl go?" I guess she thought her aunt was a playmate, like another kid or something. It was really cute.

I feel so grateful for these kinds of moments. Children say the cutest, funniest things. My son, who is a bit older than my daughter, says equally adorable things.

I try to treasure these moments and savor each one because I know the time will come when they will be fewer and further between.

I know the teen years will bring their share of challenges, but at the same time, I think there will be joys then, too. At least that is what I am hoping.

In the meantime, I will keep treasuring these little moments of joy.

gratitude for parenthood

Image via WikipediaI feel it is so important to count my blessings. My kids are healthy, kind and doing well. We live in a crazy world and the banking world and world of high finance have been going crazy. But if we can build a strong family life and a household full of love, we can go a long way toward combatting all of the difficulties in the world.

In this blog I will be talking about family life, gratitude, and how appreciate can go a long way toward creating enjoyable lives for ourselves and our family members.

Thanks for reading!

Grateful Mom