The littler things
Every year Thanksgiving comes and goes and my list of things I'm grateful for rarely changes. Religion, family, friends. Things like freedom and a paycheck and food on my plate at the end of the day. The sorts of things that should never be taken for granted. The things we should give thanks for more than one day out of the year.
But this year was a particularly big year. So I got to thinking about all the other things that I'm grateful for that I rarely, if ever, give notice to. Things like insurance, low gas prices. And other things like invested, truly invested, doctors. Therapists. Medicine. Vitamins.
I didn't realize what these things had in common with each other until now. But, this year, I'm most grateful for things that have allowed and empowered me to heal. Heal physically from a marathon of a pregnancy. Heal emotionally from baby blues and a life-long battle with anxiety and that seemingly, all-too-cliche, swarm of unsettling feelings that pop up from your childhood when you have a child of your own.
These things, like insurance and low gas prices, have allowed me be a better wife, a better mom, a better friend. I'm able to see the invested doctor because of the good insurance plan and the unusually low gas prices allow me to make the near hour drive to said doctor's office for a little less money.
I am, of course, thankful for the bigger things. My husband, my daughter, the feelings that come from your baby gripping your finger or succumbing to a gut-bursting fit of laughter. I'm thankful for the light my daughter brings into my life and the passion my husband brings to his job and anything that's thrown his way.
On Friday, I won't forget about those things. My daughter will laugh when the dog wags her tail in her face, Ella reflexively letting out a giggle or three. And I'll think man God picked me to be your mom. And I'll be simultaneously flooded with gratitude and awe.
But on Friday, I will forget about insurance. The gas prices will probably start to rise once again. I may have to sit in the waiting room longer than I'd like at my next doctor appointment. Frustration might hit when I'm told I have to change a dosage of medicine - that it's not working.
So before any of those very likely scenarios have their chance to occur, I'm giving thanks for the things that I'm lucky enough to have, the things that I go throughout my day-to-day barely giving second thought to, the things that have helped to make this year what it's been.
Happy Thanksgiving. I hope all is set aside today and you spend the day with those you're thankful for and who are thankful for you.
And here's to the little things.
But this year was a particularly big year. So I got to thinking about all the other things that I'm grateful for that I rarely, if ever, give notice to. Things like insurance, low gas prices. And other things like invested, truly invested, doctors. Therapists. Medicine. Vitamins.
I didn't realize what these things had in common with each other until now. But, this year, I'm most grateful for things that have allowed and empowered me to heal. Heal physically from a marathon of a pregnancy. Heal emotionally from baby blues and a life-long battle with anxiety and that seemingly, all-too-cliche, swarm of unsettling feelings that pop up from your childhood when you have a child of your own.
These things, like insurance and low gas prices, have allowed me be a better wife, a better mom, a better friend. I'm able to see the invested doctor because of the good insurance plan and the unusually low gas prices allow me to make the near hour drive to said doctor's office for a little less money.
I am, of course, thankful for the bigger things. My husband, my daughter, the feelings that come from your baby gripping your finger or succumbing to a gut-bursting fit of laughter. I'm thankful for the light my daughter brings into my life and the passion my husband brings to his job and anything that's thrown his way.
On Friday, I won't forget about those things. My daughter will laugh when the dog wags her tail in her face, Ella reflexively letting out a giggle or three. And I'll think man God picked me to be your mom. And I'll be simultaneously flooded with gratitude and awe.
But on Friday, I will forget about insurance. The gas prices will probably start to rise once again. I may have to sit in the waiting room longer than I'd like at my next doctor appointment. Frustration might hit when I'm told I have to change a dosage of medicine - that it's not working.
So before any of those very likely scenarios have their chance to occur, I'm giving thanks for the things that I'm lucky enough to have, the things that I go throughout my day-to-day barely giving second thought to, the things that have helped to make this year what it's been.
Happy Thanksgiving. I hope all is set aside today and you spend the day with those you're thankful for and who are thankful for you.
And here's to the little things.
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