Giving Thanks.

I know a lot of people who have been posting on Facebook something they are thankful for everyday through the month of November, well I am putting it all together. It makes me feel insanely happy to see all the love , laughter, and light in my life, all in one spot!
Happiest Thanksgiving!

 

1)      I am thankful for my Un-shakable optimism.

2)      I am thankful for my beautiful Children and their health.

3)      I am thankful for creativity and the freedom to show it.

4)      I am thankful for my Mother’s unconditional love.

5)       I am thankful that we have a roof over our head and warm beds to sleep in.

6)      I am thankful for laughter.

7)      I am thankful to have a job that I love so much!

8)      I am thankful for ALL my family.

9)      I am thankful for transportation.

10)   I am thankful for my sobriety.

11)   I am thankful for the forgiveness my family had given me.

12)   I am thankful for music and for what it does to my soul.

13)   I am thankful for all the love in my life.

14)   I am thankful to have a handful of amazingly wonderful, warm friends.

15)   I am thankful to have such a strong Mother and all the knowledge she has passed to me.

16)   I am thankful for the support I have.

17)   I am thankful for courage.

18)   I am thankful for the second chance I have been given to be a great Mother.

19)   I am thankful for the quality of my life.

20)   I am thankful for the ability to sing a dance.

21)   I am thankful for yummy, yummy food.

22)   I am thankful for every time one of my babies grabs my hand and holds it.

23)   I am thankful for hugs.

24)   I am thankful to have a kind, warm, loving man in my life.

25)   I am thankful that God never gives me more than I can handle.

26)   I am thankful that I can handle SO much!

27)   I am thankful for the little things.

28)   I am thankful for education.

29)   I am thankful for tickling!!!

30)   I am thankful to be alive.

Don’t get CUT!

We like someone because, we love someone although.
–Henri de Montherlant

Families are like scissors. They are joined in the middle but often spread wide apart, moving away from each other. When we’re not feeling close to other family members – when it’s hard even to like them – it seems as though we’ll never come together again.

But pity the scrap of paper that comes between our scissor blades! The scissors works together again and slices the trouble clean. When trouble threatens our family, we can slice it through if we move together in love and acceptance.

No matter our small differences, we are part of the same living organism, in a way. The family we live in has been together for many generations, and we are just the most recent members. When we look at one another, we see the products of centuries of love.

When I feel distant from my family, can I locate where we are still joined together?

Isn’t that so true? No matter what happens within families, no matter argument or action: more times than not we eventually are able to forgive and pull back together. I have been seeing this a lot in my life more recently.

Sometimes my brother and I fight, not like bicker about little things but full blown screaming matching filled with unforgettable word daggers. Every time this happens I always tell myself that I’m sick of feeling hurt. That he really doesn’t care or love me and I should cut off all ties. But, even though these thoughts occasionally linger in my heart, within a few days we are right back where we started. No matter our differences of opinion, how we choose to live life, or how we show affection: he is and always will be my brother, and somehow the fact that he can’t change that… is comforting to me.

My father wasn’t around much growing up. Randomly he would pop up but just as fast as he came, he was gone again. I don’t think I ever felt too much anger or resentment toward him, however I just didn’t want much to do with him I eventually became conditioned to just not feel anything in regards to him. Today he and his lovely new wife are coming to visit us, for the second time. While I will never forget my Father’s absence or false hope, I harbor no ill will and look forward to the future because he is and always will be my Dad.

These are just examples of blades split apart for my family scissors, but the bolt or joint in the scissors has always been my Mom. I say this for a couple reasons. In one way she’s the joint because through all the f’d up stuff I’ve been through she has always, always been there to ground me. She’s always been right there to catch me when I fall and she’s always been such a good best friend to keep us connected. In a whole different way my Mom is the joint in our family scissors because the way she chose to raise me, the examples she set for me gave me the ability to easily love unconditionally. She taught me how to forgive and move forward. She raised me to be a good, kind, caring person and all that ultimately gives me the tools I need to connect to all my other family. Because of the person she taught me to be soon I will be able the be the joint. I’ll be the one who holds everyone together.

I wrote a blog awhile back called “A simple recipe for happiness” within that blog I talk about Worshiping your support system. Well remember this: Even if at this very moment you and your brother are not speaking and haven’t in a year…He is still your brother and if you can find the place where you once met, he will in the future be your support system.

Friends and lovers will come and go, but blood is blood. I challenge you to think about your family (your support system) and find the place where you once met. It’s worth it!!!