Happy Thanksgiving! As I’ve gotten older, Thanksgiving has inched its way to the top of the list as my favorite holiday. I love having the opportunity to spend quality time with my family and being able genuinely enjoy the long weekend. It feels slow, intentional, and warm.
This year has been difficult in many ways. Most notably it’s been filled with quite a bit of loss. As I reflect on this, I can’t help but be reminded by something someone once said to me. At my previous job, my boss at the time unexpectedly lost his mother right before the holiday season. It was awful. When I called him to share my condolences, he said his father once told him: “When you experience loss, you should count all of the things you do have.” It was something so simple yet so profound.
So, I want to take this opportunity to share the things I do have, and be intentional about cherishing them. I challenge you to do the same. Extra points if they’re things money can’t buy!
My Parents
Always at the top of my list, I’m so grateful and thankful for my wonderful parents. Growing up, I thought everyone’s family was just like mine (because most of them in my hometown were!) but as I’ve left the nest and stepped into other people’s lives, I realize how lucky I am to have parents like mine. They are my biggest cheerleaders and are such an inspiration to me. Both as individuals and as a model relationship.
My Family
Up until this year I still had three grandparents, and I realize what a rarity that is this late in life. As life goes, I unfortunately lost both grandmothers this year, leaving me with one remaining grandfather. Even though you know it’s coming, it doesn’t make it any easier. I’m thankful for all the wonderful memories I have with each grandparent. When I see certain things, or smell certain smells, I’ll always be reminded of them. And of course, I’m especially thankful for my remaining grandfather, Poppa Eddie as well as all of my amazing Aunts, Uncles and cousins.
Community
I’ve been blessed to have an incredible community of friends both near and far. It’s so important to know you can always count on someone when you need them. When I think about it, I need more than two hands to count the number of people that I know I can truly count on. How lucky am I?! Having a friend I can just sit still with, or a friend I know I can confide in with absolute trust is one of the most valuable things in life.
This Project!
If you know me personally, you likely know I’ve always loved design. Unfortunately, it’s not what I’m currently doing for a living, but I started this website and this brand as a way of dipping my toe into the design world. The sense of purpose this has given me, and the amazing community of like-minded people I’ve found in such a short time has been overwhelming and unexpected. This has been something I’ve thought about doing for years, and self-doubt has stopped me time and time again. I’m so glad I finally mustered up the courage to just go for it.
YOU
Lastly, if you made it this far, I want to say I’m thankful for YOU! Thank you for taking an interest in this project. Every comment, every like, every share, every follow – they all truly mean the most to me. I hope to continue to give back to you in the coming months and years. Whether it’s through education, inspiration, or just plain entertainment. Thank you for following along and all your support. I couldn’t do this without you!
Just for giggles…
In good fun, I’ll share I’m extra thankful to be done hand scraping 3,000+ square feet of popcorn ceilings. I’m also thankful I’m not living through a hardwood flooring renovation. I’m looking forward to some less dusty renovations for 2024 (more on that soon!).
Happy Thanksgiving
I hope each of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family. Remember to take a moment to tell the people in your life how much you love them. And if you get a quiet moment to yourself, I hope you’ll think about all the things you have that money can’t buy.