Monday Musings 11-21-22

I’m writing this from the airport as I wait to board our flight to LA for Thanksgiving. Last year at this time, we flew out with heavier hearts as one of our kids needed urgent surgery. Everything turned out well, and we were certainly filled with gratitude when we shared our Thanksgiving meal, but it had been another scare on top of an already scary year.

When illness or tragedy hits us close to home, it’s easy to spiral down the rabbit hole of worry. Amidst the turmoil and uncertainty that is our world, it’s easy to allow worry to consume us. The older I get, the more complex life seems. Maybe it’s because our circle is wider, with children, friends, and extended family all living their own lives filled with joy, sadness, love, and loss, and those things touch us. Maybe it’s because as we age, different concerns loom. Our physical health may be more fragile, our work life may be in transition. In our case, this year all our children have moved out and we’ve sold our family home of nineteen years.

I find that whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed or afraid or simply exhausted by the chaos of life, if I focus on gratitude, it can reframe my mindset. The unique thing about Thanksgiving, as far as holidays go, is that it’s only about food, friends, and family, and our gratitude for those things. There is no other agenda – no gifts to buy, no atonements to make, no goals to set. Just a gathering around a table. So, for this week, I’m going to do my best to appreciate every moment. Happy Thanksgiving!

“When gratitude becomes an essential foundation in our lives, miracles start to appear everywhere.”
- Emmanuel Dagher

IN OTHER NEWS:

Save the date! It’s time for the 10th Annual RI Author Expo. Signed books make great holiday gifts so come on down to the Crowne Plaza in Warwick on Saturday, December 3, 2022 from 10 am - 5pm for a festive event featuring over 100 local authors. The day will be jam packed with panels, programs, signings, raffles, and even Santa. Hope to see you there!

Monday Musings 12-23-19

I’m writing this from my hotel room in Folsom, CA, where we’ll be spending Christmas at my sister’s house. This is the first Christmas in 26 years that we won’t be in our own home for the holiday. When my kids were little, that was my one uncompromising requirement - they would wake up in their own beds on Christmas morning and celebrate in our home. We’d travel for other holidays sometimes, but Christmas was non-negotiable. We’d host anyone who wanted to come, and for all these years, they did.

Well, the kids are all mostly grown-up now, and they’ve had a childhood full of Christmas memories, just as I’d hoped. With my sister and two of my boys now living on the west coast, it felt like the right time to try something different.

Last night, my husband and I sat at the hotel bar with all the kids and laughed for nearly the entire time, until they basically closed the place up around us. As parents, we often look back and think about what we could have done differently, how we may have handled something better, how we might have failed our kids in some way or another. But last night, sitting together watching the love my kids have for one another, I am sure we did something very right.

Wishing you and your family love and joy this holiday season.