Seems October flew by and November came racing along too. November is a fast paced month in general and you learn as a working Mom to separate work from home or it ruins your holiday FAST! I try very hard to remember when I leave work...work stays there and home becomes the important factor. Not always easily done, but I try :)
I love how November tends to bring out the thankfulness in most folks. I wish more carried that attitude year long but I'm at least happy that they have one month at least that they find their blessings. I truly feel if you let your blessings outnumber your negatives, no matter how small those blessings are or even how insignificant they may be to others.....if they make you smile or your heart happy...count 'em!
Myself, I have been blessings and things that humble me daily.
1. I am thankful to be a mother, a wife, a daughter, a best friend, a coworker, a friend and a family member. I am thankful for the many hats I wear in my life, even at times when it seems chaotic. This year I'm thankful to add college student to that list.
2. I am thankful to have my babygirl. She has educated me on life more than any book ever could! She humbles me daily to find the beauty in small things and to see the beauty in myself. She is smart, funny, beautiful, tender hearted, a rooter for the under dog, curious and unique. She's taught me to slow down and really enjoy life. To see the beauty in the rainstorm as well as the rainbow. She changed my world upside down in a beautiful, dizzy way 7 years ago and I couldn't be happier :)
3. I'm thankful for my husband. He's truly my rock, my shoulder and my cheerleader. He sees things in me I never have and he cheers me on even when I feel I'll fall flat on my face! He never blinked an eye when I said I wanted to start taking classes...simply said "Bout time. Get er done". He's handsome, he's funny, he's always up for an adventure but most importantly he takes the job of Daddy and husband seriously...and does it well.
4. I am thankful for my baby brother. He is my best friend, my confidant. He is loyal, always has my back and I always have his. We are more like twins, finishing each others thoughts and ideas. No matter whether it was the Middle East, on my couch or in California...our hearts are always intertwined. I could not have asked for a better man to be my girl's uncle. He is honest, fair and would give someone the shirt off his back if they needed it. I am thankful he's living his dream, marking off his bucket list and has found a woman that makes him smile!
5. I'm thankful for parents that truly love us. Who see my husband as their son. Who never failed to teach us charity, honesty and love when we were kids...and expects the same out of us today. Dad has had a rough road a time or two but has came out the better man. There is no woman finer than my Mamma...and I hope one day my girl looks at me like I do my Mom :)
6. I'm thankful for a home that is a home not a house. It may be small. It may not be fancy. But it is 100% filled with love from wall to wall, floor to ceiling. I'm thankful for shelter when many have none.
7. I'm thankful for the luxuries in life. For cable, for lights, for running water. for heat and cool. I'm thankful for food in my pantry, the ability to cook. Growing up for a bit on the farm we had no running water. I remember my Mom carrying water everyday from the well house. She never complained. Eventually lines were ran and we had water in the house. It was great but Mom's happiness whether the water came out of the faucet or the well house...spoke volumes. She was happy with what she had. I am much the same way. Many others out there would be thankful just to have a clean cup of water....and here I am with my cup running over!!
8. I am thankful for a job. It drives me nuts some days and I'm almost certain that some of my coworkers are nutty lol but..I am thankful to have a job. I am thankful for coworkers that are as nutty as me and see the funny things in life. And that we pull together like family in times of need.
9. I'm thankful for MS medicines, an excellent neuro and a team of drs that see my husband as a man not a chart. Yes, I pray for a cure daily but realistically without a diagnosis we would not know what to fight. Without meds where would we be? Without insurance we'd pay even more. It all comes together to make a plan for US to fight MS. I'm thankful to for a husband that even on bad days finds something good. That doesn't let his diagnosis rule him.
10. I'm thankful for my cousins and extended family. Without them I'd have very few memories and I'd sure not be who I am now! From jumping on hay bales, to making pirate ships out of farm trailers to just playing basketball in the dark with only the light from the workbarn on....it's all awesome memories. My family truly has spoiled my outlook on life.....I feel it should be led with lots of family, big meals, lots of laughter and love...and not everyone in the world sees it that way. But that's ok...I'll just head home and we all get it ;)
11. I'm thankful for the family I married into. For my husband and his Dad working on their relationship and being there for each other. For sister in laws I adore and brother in laws I love (even though I could wring one's neck most days lol). I married into a family that is not like mine but I do truly love them. We don't all see eye to eye and we live differently...but I do love them.
12. I'm thankful for my eyesight...without it I'd never see my husband's silly wink. I'm thankful for my hearing....without it I'd never hear "Love ya Mamma" or that silly giggle. I'm thankful for my sense of taste....without it I'd never truly taste some awesome food. For my sense of smell.....fresh mown hayfields, lilac in the spring, tomato plants in the summer....I cannot imagine life without smell.
13. On a lighter note...I'm thankful for toilet paper, toothpaste, good books, sweet tea, and all the thins in life that make it a bit easier and nicer.
Never let your blessings go unnoticed...and never let life get so rushed you lose sight of the things you love. Say today what you need to say to those you love, for tomorrow isn't promised!
