The Order Of Events

It's Thanksgiving Day. A day I typically mix with cooking, relaxing, eating and thinking about what I'm thankful for. In that order. Something seems different this year. Yesterday morning on the way to work, for no particular reason I was thinking about how blessed I am. I couldn't get it out of my head. All day long, I had a smile on my face and it's still here. Sydney and I ran a couple of errands in the afternoon and she asked me what Thanksgiving is. As I was describing how Thanksgiving came about and why we continue to celebrate this holiday, it really hit me how much I have to be thankful for. Here's my list:

1. I have a husband who loves me unconditionally and still makes my heart go pitter-pat. He does the little things that make me happy, and with a smile on his face. I am still madly in love with him!

2. We have a beautiful, healthy daughter who is joy in our lives. She is an easy kid and her smile melts our hearts. Watching her amazes me. Just a few years ago, she didn't talk and couldn't figure out what a toilet was for. Now, she can write her name and sing songs and process information.

3. I leave my house each day and make the one mile trip to my dream job. There I enjoy work that fulfills me and inspires me. Having an opportunity to dream, design and produce and then reap the rewards and learn from the failures feeds my soul.

4. I am thankful for a family that I couldn't ask for any more from. My sister is amazing, one of the strongest women I know. She is an inspiration and a confidante. There is no one in this world like my sister and I appreciate her so much. My parents are the kind of parents everyone should have. My dad has more patience for me than anyone in my life. He will listen to me endlessly and is always there for me. No matter what. My mom is about as good as it gets. Her dream has paved the way for me to create a job that I love. My entire life, she has put herself aside in favor of everyone else. She is, simply put, amazing.

5. I am so very thankful for an amazing Grandpa. There is no one in the world like my Grandpa. He is everything a Grandpa should be, loving, caring, compassionate, smart, hilariously funny! I have a million wonderful memories of my Grandpa and we continue to make more. He is incredibly special to me and I know how lucky I am to have him. He is one of a kind.

6. When you are a kid, you always have a million friends. As you grow up, some move on, sometimes we are the one who moves on. Some stay. My friend Larissa has been in my life since I was pretty small. I am so thankful for her friendship. She truly "gets" me. She knows when to poke fun, when to back off, when to support and when to just show up. I know she's got my back and I can always count on her. Watching our girls grow up together has been wonderful. It's like watching little "mini-me's" run around together. Having her by my side supporting me whether in person or in spirit is such a gift to me.

7. I am certainly thankful for a roof over my head and food to eat and heat when I'm cold. I definitely take these things for granted, and I have to really stop and remind myself to be thankful for these things.

I am often thinking about the future, and where I want to be at what age and at what point in my life. If I want to do X by the time I'm Y, then what should I be doing right now? Am I on track? Am I producing enough, working hard enough? But what about right now? I rarely stop to think about what I am doing right now and if I am happy and content with who I am and what I am doing right now.

I read a great article recently about slowing down and enjoying life. It was the same old article that has been written a million times, but maybe it takes a million times to really get the point across. Maybe I need to read someone else's version every once in awhile to remind me how rich with blessings I am. Maybe I'm writing my own version right now. Either way, we all know that we need to stop and smell the roses from time to time. Today, I am pausing to truly consider how richly blessed I am and just enjoy the day. Then I am going to cook the dinner, relax and eat a bountiful Thanksgiving feast in remembrance of those who paved the way. In that order.