Gratitude....

Today is the final official work day before the week long Thanksgiving break begins. It is a time that many people ponder what they are thankful and grateful for in their lives. The holiday forces us to have gratitude in the forefront of our minds but it can be so easily forgotten when we move past this holiday season. I remind myself as much as I can that I need to pause and reflect on the many things in my life that I am grateful for and that give me joy. My family is my core and without them I would not be who I am today. I value and appreciate what each person in my family has provided me throughout the years. Every interaction, both positive and negative, have helped to shape the daughter, sister, wife, and mother I am today.

What I do recognize is that life moves fast.....

We are all connected in the interesting framework of our world. We don't always recognize the importance of the moments we have with one another. Think about how much time you spend passing others on the sidewalk, in the store, at work.  Did you make the best of those moments? I know that I could do much more. Just a smile can make a difference.  Every interaction we have creates a ripple in our lives and that ripple carries out and touches others. The decisions we make on how we respond to the interactions we have is what is so important. Do we respond with positivity and spread that light?? Or do we respond with anger or negativity and spread that darkness??

I am truly grateful for where I am at this moment in my life. I am grateful for everyone that has been a part of my life even if only in a minor way. I am grateful to be alive and to have an amazing husband and two beautiful girls. I am grateful for my parents and my siblings and my nieces and nephews. I am grateful for my friends.