Whether or not you celebrate the Easter holiday, this is the season of rebirth, this is the time of starting.  It’s a Spring where we emerge as something new, where ideas start to bud and we work on the beginning of a new venture.  So this week I share gratitude of the season.

Today I am grateful for finding me.  This isn’t something I’ve done alone (and it’s far from over) but it’s not something I’ve really had explicit help with either.  Recently I’ve been reading a lot of work on how we aren’t really “finding” ourselves because we aren’t lost.  No disrespect to the scholars behind that, but I definitely had lost my way, lost myself in the process of becoming this.  The real essence of who I am (sometimes who we are) gets buried beneath this image we create.  It is definitely a journey to discover that true essence.  It’s also a journey to discovering who we want to be.  We can’t go through life throwing darts at different interests and think that lands on something.  We need to develop the foundation of who we are and, that too, is a process.  I’m grateful for the work I’ve done. I’m grateful for the work that continues.  This journey is the way.

Today I am grateful to continue the goal of new experiences.  We went to see a movie this weekend with my son.  He had never been to a theater before and we went all out: all the snacks and drinks, the best seats, all the trimmings of a theater experience.  It was a first for us as a family because it was the first time we’ve been to a movie at a theater together.  Movies hold a special place in my heart because that is something my husband and I have always been passionate about.  The first time we met, we ended up at a movie together—he leant me a dollar so I could get in and see the movie with the group.  Over the last 22 years,  we built a collection of films together.  I know it seems silly but neither of us could remember the last time we went to the theater, and for something we enjoyed doing, that was kind of sad.  Bringing back the tradition and introducing it to our son was nostalgic and the beginning of something simultaneously.  These little adventures aren’t huge, but they are hugely impactful.   

Today I am grateful for reminders of the soul.  My friend recently had surgery so I’ve been checking in and spending time with her as she recovers.  Her favorite movie is Moana and I had never seen it so we watched it yesterday.  Yes, this is another new experience, but this was deeper as anyone who has seen Moana knows.  The demonstration of spirit, will, destiny, and knowing who we are at the core filled me with love and hope.  There are times we need to show the world strength by becoming who we are meant to be and there are times we need to find strength in ourselves by remembering what we are.  We need to be strong enough to follow our call, soft enough to see inside, brave enough to face the elements against us, and have faith enough to go after what we are meant to when we know it’s right.  We need to know as much as we are one and our actions impact others, we are also a soul, an individual with a unique contribution to the world.    

Today I am grateful for the chances this world gives us.  That is something to be grateful for forever.  No matter what happens we are able to change direction as many times as we need to.  While this can be frustrating if we don’t have a map, it’s exhilarating as we discover the direction meant for us.  The key here is that we don’t always need to have that map—we find our way as we move.  I’m working on developing more comfort with that.  I’ve often been one of those believe it when I see it types and I’m seeing the universe tends to operate on you’ll see it when you believe it.  That’s hard, but I can choose daily to trust my instincts or continue to operate as if I know it all.  The world is magic and there are times it may feel like the rug is being pulled from under us when really we are being dislodged from our comfort zone—answer the call.

Today I am grateful for tradition.  In all this talk of change and stepping into who we are, I love the tradition of coming together to celebrate a new beginning.  Faith is something my whole family has struggled with and seems to have diminished with each generation, so today isn’t totally about that type of celebration even though we are trying.  It’s about being together more than anything, and as time has gone on, that separation seems to grow a bit further.  We all have our own lives, we are all busy/tired, and we all feel like we need to do it on our own.  But on these holidays we come back together and attempt to find some semblance of tradition.  We are family and the family holds strong no matter what even if we fracture a little bit.  I am grateful to see where I came from even if we have our own spin on the day.

Wishing everyone a day of renewal and blessings and here’s to a wonderful week ahead!