Today I am grateful for seeing the truth.  Even if it hurts, it’s better to know exactly where we stand and how people really feel.  Yes, it can be a harsh reality but it s better for all involved to know rather than guess or develop ideas on false pretenses.  Find the people who show they support us rather than those who say they support us—it’s a different behavior entirely.  Someone can say they’re helping only to undercut at the last minute and the truth is that isn’t support.  Trust the gut and, above all, watch people’s actions.  What they do will tell us all we need to know. 

Today I am grateful for the ability to give.  I’ve been so excited to give back this season and to have the opportunity to share and provide and make things magical for others.  I’ve been more in my head than usual lately, feeling the pressure of everything that needs to be done, and it has been nice to get out of my head and do nice things for people.  I’ve read before that sometimes giving is selfish because of the high we get—and I used to think that was a bit exaggerated.  But I totally understand it.  Seriously.  When we’re feeling down or overwhelmed, it can really help to look at what other people need and see where we can be of use.  I haven’t always been able to give back as much as I would like to and this year I have found myself in a position where I can really enjoy the spirit of giving.  This season constantly reminds me of how lucky we actually are and how much more we can do than just give things.  The presence is more than the presents and we need to remember as we prepare to enter this time of gratitude, giving, and love, that it comes from the heart and we are lucky to give.    

Today I am grateful for breath.  We so often take our autonomic functions for granted.  As I’ve gotten older, I’ve seen the impact of imbalance and overwhelm on all areas of our lives—mental, physical, social, financial, spiritual.  It’s easy to get carried away and to feel like things are out of control—they are out of control.  All we can deal with is what is right in front of us and I constantly forget that, feeling like I need to handle everything all the time and I know my body is so tense most of the time that I don’t breath correctly—which then impacts everything else in the body from cellular and system function to cognitive function.  The breath is the single most centering thing in the body aside from the beat of our hearts, the electric impulse that keeps us moving and runs the show.  We are amazing creatures, and all we have to do is let our bodies do what they do.  The rest is covered.  The rest isn’t that serious.  Yeah, we have a bunch of made up rules that tell us what’s important in life, but without the breath, without the basic function of our being, those rules mean diddly.  And this year has shown me how quickly life can change or how unbelievably stubborn it can be.  Both scenarios dictate all we can do is breathe.  I appreciate what my body does for me, how it keeps me moving.  How the air moves me. 

Today I am grateful for big, astute hearts.  During a panic attack this weekend, I lamented that I didn’t know what to do.  I was on my knees with my head on the floor and my son, my little 7 year old, said, “You’re just overwhelmed.”  I fully admit I don’t give my son enough credit for what he perceives, what he feels, and how he interprets things—his feeling nature in general.  His awareness of the major portion of my problem, the overwhelm, was definitely a perfectly timed reminder that all is not lost, and sometimes the mind goes a little wild.  Sometimes all we need to do is remember to breathe (like I talked about above) and get a little perspective.  Kids are so aware.  They feel the truth and trust that knowing to BE the truth.  My son brought me right back to where I was, and I was able to get through it.    

Today I am grateful for another shot.  Because of my sensitivity and proclivity toward anxiety I have a tendency to think once something is over I won’t get another chance again—or something else won’t come around without difficulty.  This year with so much time spent in limbo or loss, I felt myself stagnate a bit.  I mean, I definitely took big strides but I’m not feeling they were as big as they could have been.  On New Year’s Day I saw an Eagle and was ready for this year to take off just as big as that symbol.  The year wasn’t awful, it just had some huge swings.  Just because we don’t get where we thought we’d be, it doesn’t mean we didn’t progress.  We may be a bit battered in some cases, but we are here, and as long as we are here, we have another chance.  One rough inning doesn’t mean the game is over—we get to bat again. 

Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead.