This being the month of November and of Thanksgiving, I thought I would take a moment to remember my blessings and the things in my life that I am grateful for. I am grateful for my family members, we share the same brand of crazy and it is nice to know that there are people out there who understand the ups and downs associated with our specific brand. I am grateful for my faith and the knowledge I have that Christ lives, loves me, and is very involved in and cares about my life. Without this knowledge, I know my life wouldn't be as bright. I am grateful for my life and the opportunities that I have to learn and grow. I could definitely benefit from keeping this perspective more often, especially when learning a life "lesson" that seems particularly challenging. Just knowing that a challenging situation will help me to grow, helps me accept it a little more and lessens the urge to run (sometimes :). I am grateful that I am taller. This may seem like a weird thing to be grateful for, but it comes in handy more times than I probably realize. I am grateful to live in a country that allows me to enjoy so many freedoms. I am grateful for the advances in technology that allow me to easily and cheaply (relatively) communicate with family and friends around the world. I am thankful for summer. I am thankful for winter in that it allows me to better enjoy and appreciate summer.
I am usually lucky enough to spend Thanksgiving at one of my Aunt's homes with my extended family. My close extended family has lived near each other for the majority of their married lives and has consistently made efforts to spend time together. My immediate family lived several places, but rarely near enough to spend holidays with them. Though it is sometimes awkward for me to attend these family gatherings (they even get together on non-holidays pretty often), it is nice to see some many people committed to them. Sure, things aren't sooth all the time, but they are surprisingly smooth a lot of the time, which impresses me. Part of the magic that produces this tranquility is understanding and charitable expectations of everyone involved. If someone can't make it, feelings aren't hurt. If extra people show up, its almost never a problem, we just adjust as needed (also, may aunts are pretty amazing about making people feel welcome and rolling with the punches). Every thing is very low key and the point of these gatherings is to foster love and build positive relationships. Again, my family is not perfect, but if everyone is usually trying to remember this focus, it really goes a long way.
Happy Thanksgiving!
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/gratitude-a-path-to-happiness?lang=eng&query=gratitude
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