As I sit here reflecting the year so far (all 20 days of it), I am overcome with all the blessings I have. I am also ashamed at the amount that I take them for granted. Nothing is a guarantee. Nothing is promised (except His love for us). Nothing is forever. So, as part of 'The Year of a New Me' (or TYOANM) I am going to try and breathe in all the blessings in my life and not be so blind to the beauty that surrounds me.
The thing that makes me happier than anything else is my family, yet they are the ones that always see the worst part of me. When I'm tired, they are the ones that suffer. When I've had a bad day, they bear the brunt of it and also have a bad day, simply by association. Therefore, the number one thing on my 'TYOANM' list is to make me number one! Sounds selfish, but it's actually the most selfless thing to do for them. I am taking my health seriously! I am now under the care of a nutritionist who has already helped me more than I expected. I am headache free for 11 days straight and she says it's only the beginning. I am also now 100% gluten free. I have known for several years that I am allergic but never was diligent with the diet...until now. I'm sure that has a lot to do with how well I feel now. How can I ever go back???
I also am making a list of all the things that I cherish most. This helps me be in the moment when I experience them; to let them consume me and remind me to thank Him that makes them possible. So far, my list consists of some of the following:
* The way my husband still looks at me, even in the morning as I'm snorting my coffee and grunting at him. After all these years, he still makes me feel like I am the most important person in the world to him.
 |
| Me and my love |
* The sound of Caty singing in the shower. She is so happy and has such a beautiful voice. I love to stand outside her bathroom door (in a non-creepy way) while she's in there and listen to her. And yes, sometimes I even cry because this is such a beautiful moment. One day this sound will no longer be a regular part of our house and I will SOOOOOO miss that.
 |
| The smile makes my heart sing |
* The sound of Ali's laugh. She has the GREATEST laugh. It's infectious. The joy on her face in the midst of a good belly laugh makes my heart sing.
 |
| My big love |
* I love the way my heart feels when my kids are standing by me in church singing their praises. I am so thankful to live where we can worship freely. I love that they aren't 'to cool' to sing about loving the Lord.
* I love the sound of my kids laughing with each other. I am so thankful that my girls are best friends. They genuinely like each other and like being together.
But my biggest blessing is hearing these three creatures that share the casa with me tell me that they love me. The sound of their voices expressing their love for me is what gets me through every single second of every single day. For this alone, I express my gratitude daily to God. This is one of those blessings that are not a guarantee and one I can't even fathom the alternative.
 |
| A family that has fun together... has fun together |
So for the above blessings, and the countless others that I didn't list, I thank the Lord. He alone holds the key and that fact is not lost on me. I am just so thankful that He has placed these beautiful angels in my life. Thank You for loving me and telling me so in their voices everyday. By them loving me, it's proof that You love me.
