Skip to main content

A long overdue "happy" holiday season

  My family has never been too big on holidays. Sure, we would go here or go there. We would usually be traveling to a family member's house for a meal and fellowship, but it was still not something that ever gave me warm and fuzzies. The most warm and fuzzies I ever got was sitting around the Christmas tree with my mom, my dad, and my brother opening gifts.
  There was always one common thread: us 4. 5 years ago, that changed drastically. Since then, holidays have meant very little. So much that last year I spent Christmas at home by myself. I was fine. Little did I know that I would be cheated on ending up spending it in tears. The past is in the past. What I mean is this: Golden Coral has been a Thanksgiving or Christmas norm for me and my family for awhile. 
  I haven't looked forward to the holiday season in what seems like forever. This year...this year is different. For the first time, in such a long time, I am happy about the up coming season. I am eager even to spend my holidays with the man I love. And I couldn't be more thankful. 
  Tomorrow kicks off the beginning of our season. And we should give thanks to those that aren't just in our life but those that give us life. 
  Mom and dad. It's us. It will always be us. No matter where or how our why...it is us. I love you both so much. And I am so blessed because of you both. Thank you. 
  White boy. I was so confused on how I could convince you to leave. I was so unsure of how we could even make it for a few days. You proved me so wrong in my thinking that we were not worth the time. You have become my rock. You have silently slid into the slot of my best friend. You have given me a reason to smile this holiday season. I love you, bee. And I am so blessed because of you. Thank you. 
  My family. You quirky, loveable weirdos. I wouldn't change you for the world. You keep my world fun. I love you all. And I am so blessed because of all of you. Thank you. 
  My friends. You have all kept me personally honest with myself and the world. You challenge me to believe in something bigger. You accept me for who I am in spite of knowing I am going to make mistakes. And I am blessed because of all of you. Thank you. 
  My heavenly Father. You formed me. You gave me everything I have, and loved me first. You gave me my brother and are keeping him in safe keeping till we meet again. And I am so blessed. Thank you. 

Happy Thanksgiving. I pray your holiday season is filled with light and love. Be blessed, friends as I am blessed. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tiger must stay in your backpack...

   I'm not that parent. The one who gloats too much, and shows off all the pictures. The parent who relays every detail of their kid to let others know how incredible I think they are. Perhaps it is a flaw. Who knows. And I also pride myself in not being a helicopter parent. I teach and let go. I discipline and let go.    And I thought I would be ready for this: first day of Pre-K. I have been very positive and uplifting and have wanted my son to be extra ready to go to school. We have talked about it for months! I am ready... Or so I thought.  This morning, as white boy was leaving to take them to daycare, he said to Owen, "You can't take Tiger to school tomorrow or he will have to stay in your backpack, so do you want to take him to daycare today?" I thought little of it, but as Owen threw him down on the ground and turned to head out the door, my throat hitched. "Are you sure you don't want to take him today?" He said no. It was a sense of finality.  ...

A goodbye love letter to you...

  I sat across from my dad at lunch, yesterday, and asked him, "Do you know what tomorrow is?" He said, "Yeah. 1 year." And his eyes grew damp. "I'll never forget walking into that room..." He didn't continue. I didn't ask him to. "I'll never forget the police officer banging on my door at 1130 at night..." I didn't continue. He didn't ask me to.  "This journal was given to me several years ago by my children. I know they wanted me to write down my thoughts to get through the rough times I was going through at the time. I did not start this at that time. Why am I starting it now? Well, I only thought I had been through hell back then, but now I realize I didn't have any idea what heartache was until Aug 15, 2010 -"   This is the beginning of one of my mother's journals. A journal she started a little over a month after Andy died. And she wrote it--to him.  "Dear Mother - Today is the day before Mothe...

Arithmetic of Purpose

   By nature, humans will, at one point in their life, ask the question, "For what purpose? Why am I here? What am I meant to do?" Okay, maybe they will ask themselves more than 1 question...but at least around the same theme. "Who am I, and why am I here?" It is built in our very DNA. Growing up, I didn't ask this often. I had a loving family who went with the current. Who I was and why I was here was bound up in my place in my family of 4. I was comfy. I was loved. I was secure. But alas...the question presented itself.   I first asked myself this question walking down the streets of Rome. I was alone, I was 21, and I was lost. I had just finished AmeriCorps and felt like I wanted something, but wasn't sure what that was. I had found my faith, at last, and realized that perhaps I wanted to be a bigger part of the Church collective. I felt meaning to my nothingness. I went home with direction. I graduated from college, finally, and started grad school to be...