One of the downfalls of working at night is that I often come home a little to keyed up to go to bed. And so tonight instead of slipping into bed wide-awake I took a moment to sit outside, relax, and reflect. In the moment of stillness I immediately thought of my "favorite part" of today - a practice we do with the boys at mealtimes that is sometimes touching but usually ends up in "I am grateful for my sandwhich."

It was easy tonight to generate a gratitude list. I feel blessed...

  • To bear witness to the power of women coming together to create change in their lives.
  • To see the transformation in the people I work with and delight in their accomplishments.
  • To smell the fresh lilacs in every room of the house.
  • To feel the wind and the whisper of promise it brings.
  • To listen to the laughter of my boys.
  • To ride the current of my life and try not to fight it.
  • To be...
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My intention this past holiday season was to be relaxed and joyful. In preparation I reflected on traditions I wanted to create for my family and planned accordingly. And in spite of all my organization, it all started to unravel when my dear overworked husband showed up (he arrived at the grandparents a day later) with only half the gifts. Panicked I made the three hour drive to retrieve them before the blizzard hit and then unraveling continued. Christmas eve involved a trip to urgent care with my little one to discover a double ear infection and pneumonia, my new computer started on fire, and my well-intentioned mother forgot where she put the gifts my sibling had purchased. Many other family mini-dramas ensued and I developed a horrible cold. On the last night of our visit, snuggled up in the comfy hotel bed, I was reflecting on the craziness and realized I was focusing on the wrong moments - the draining ones, the things that went wrong. And not on the wonderful moments - watching my little one's joy as he tried downhill skiing for the first time, laughing with my brother and husband as they struggled to put together toys, sharing a meal with all my family, and many more.

As I navigate the new year I am reminding myself to focus on the moments - the positive ones - and to let go of the negative.