What a Wonderful Life

I think a lot about things I want to do and things I haven’t (yet) done. However, my son’s thankful spirit this week made me turn to look at the past and things I am thankful I have done or been exposed to or things I’ve seen. This is by no means an all-inclusive list but just the first few things that popped into my head today. Some are big things that have affected my life, others are luxuries I’m glad I got to experience at least once, and some are in between somewhere.

1. Marrying Doug. I never believed in love at first sight or falling in love only once or even soul mates when I was younger. However, I did find my soul mate in Doug. He “gets” me and he puts up with me and he encourages me and, when no one else in the world can, he makes me think and appreciate and laugh. He loves me despite all the reasons he shouldn’t and he supports me even when he might not agree with me. He is the best decision I’ve ever made.
2. Having a baby. I am so blessed to have the wonderful son that I do. He is smart and loving and difficult and stubborn and I love him more than I ever thought was possible.
3. Buying a home. Just the experience of buying a home is a valuable learning experience but then add to that the maintenance and upkeep and financing and this becomes something that I’m glad I’m able to do. I love having a place that is all my own – an oasis from the rest of the world.
4. Visiting another country. I’ve only been to two other countries but both experiences were great!
5. Going on a cruise. I love traveling this way and, even though my finances don’t allow it, I still look back with great fondness on this vacation.
6. Staying at luxury hotels. Again, my finances don’t allow this but I’m thankful to have stayed at the historic Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans and at the Four Seasons in Vancouver.
7. Talking with a senator and a congressman in their offices in Washington, D.C. It is nice to be told you have a voice and that there are people to listen at a young age. I met with these people when I was a junior and again when I was a senior in high school on two separate educational trips.
8. Getting a good education. My parents did everything they could to provide me with the best possible foundation and I am so grateful for that.
9. Traveling. My mom told me one time when I was about 13 that I had already been more places by that age than she had been in her whole life. That luxury was never lost on me. When I was growing up, I would stay with my grandparents for two weeks every summer and they would often take me places. Additionally, my parents would take us on a vacation every year – even if just a very small one. I traveled out of the country for the first time when I was a senior in high school and I appreciated that opportunity and realized, even then, that I was being granted opportunities that many people never get in their entire lives. I love to travel and always have.
10. Having a good relationship with my family. We have our ups and downs like any family but I’ve always known that no matter what, my family would love me and support me. That makes even the toughest times easier to bear.

It takes so little to make us happy sometimes

I am not a morning person. I know lots of people say this but I’m not sure how many people truly mean it the way I do. I really hate to not only get up in the morning but I hate to be awakened in the morning. If I am allowed 20 or 30 minutes to ease into the day, I can make adjustments. However, if someone wakes me up or the alarm rings and I have to jump straight up out of the bed, it literally starts my day off in a very bad way. Unfortunately, my son inherited this gene from me. This morning I was trying to wake J up earlier than usual. He squinted his eyes against the light and gave me a sour look. He turned over to go back to sleep. When I tried to wake him again, he rolled over, looked at me, and in a surprisingly sweet voice said, “The bed is the perfect place that I need to be right now.” He then rolled over and went back to sleep as if that pronouncement should end all discussion. This morning I agreed to let that be the case and he got a few extra minutes of sleep.

The other precious quote of his that I wanted to record today was from last night. I was supervising J getting ready for bed and he walked over to his hamper to drop his clothes in. He looked down into the empty hamper then looked over at me and said, “Mommy, you washed all of my clothes. Thank you! I want to give you a hug.” He ran over and gave me a big hug and kiss and thanked me again. I almost got choked up. So many thankless tasks go into keeping a house running smoothly that we often forget to say thank you to those who take care of us. I know I was likely very guilty of forgetting to say thank you to my mom over the years. I am also guilty of forgetting to thank my hubby for the numerous things he does though I do try to let him know I appreciate all he does. However, this tiny recognition of my efforts brought a little joy into my heart last night. It is good to know that I am raising a son who is thoughtful and thankful and expressive and generous with his love.