11.24.2011

so thankful


driving home last night to have pre-thanksgiving pizza with my family, i reflected on how much things change and how important it is to live in the present with a thankful heart. our jobs and activities often focus on the future - organizing events, creating strategic plans and projections, preparing for presentations. i catch myself often jotting down goals and endless to-do lists for the rest of the day/week/month and thinking ahead to how great things will be when (insert task/item/need/want here) has come to fruition or been completed. thanksgiving is beautiful because it is the holiday that allows us to stop thinking about the future, stop planning and working and coordinating, and just enjoy being with those we love and reflecting on what we actually do have in that present moment.

i have quite a number of things on my to-do list this weekend, all of which, put together, are making me feel a bit overwhelmed. but tomorrow i am going to ignore that list and just enjoy the day for what it is. i'm going to be thankful for my family, my home, my friends, my job, my tiny mac laptop and the happiness that blogging brings me, my faith, my health, my seat warmers in my car, my cat, bargain shopping, $1 cinnamon rolls at ikea, and the One who has blessed me with all of this and more.

as i drove through town tonight on the last few minutes of my drive, most of the big historic houses in town were lit up and alive with celebration. two in particular caught my attention. in the first, a family was putting up a christmas tree in their front window. someone was on a ladder to reach a top branch. in the second, a large group congregated together with drinks in the front room. both of these glimpses filled me with warmth and perfectly captured the spirit of the holiday season and the intentional pauses that we need to take to reflect, be joyful and enjoy the present.

this year, more than others, my heart is full. i have been blessed beyond measure and i am truly thankful.

image via houzz

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