Thanksgiving

Okay, I know this is shamefully overdue, as Thanksgiving was weeks ago and Christmas is now upon us. But I must say how incredibly grateful I am for the holiday of Thanksgiving. I love the chance to eat all you want on fancy dishes and with family. I love the focus of the world on being grateful for the things that mean something to them. Thanksgiving gave me the chance to see with clear and grateful eyes, which is rare lately. I've been struggling still, and struggling more in some senses and Thanksgiving gave me the opportunity to break free of that for a little while and be grateful. It was such a relief. And I was so grateful for the holiday itself.

Yes, the Christmas season is also great, but there is more focus on the commercialization and what you're going to get than what you're going to give and what you're going to help with. (Also, less focus on a great big meal!) There are so many things I'm grateful for. And if you're reading this, you're one of them. Anyone who takes the time to read my words makes me very grateful, even if you don't comment, I like to imagine at least 10 people read each of my posts.

I'm so grateful for my family this year especially. I've gained a sister since last year, and I'm glad for her too. :) I could list all the things I'm grateful for, but that would take forever and I'm already in tears, and that would break me into sobs. Just know, I'm grateful for so much. And especially Thanksgiving this year.

Sorry for the rambling still. But at least it's a post right?

"Honey, I Shrunk the Audience Syndrome"

When I was a small girl my wonderful parents took us to Disneyland (you saw that coming didn't you?) and I vividly remember seeing the "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" 3-D movie. Through the whole thing I was miserable! Everything made me jump and squeal and I was just NOT happy with it. At one point a snake popped out at me and I just couldn't take it anymore. I just couldn't. I took off the glasses and started crying, sobbing, wailing. My sweet mother stopped watching to comfort me and asked what was wrong. I sobbed, "It's picking on me! It only jumps out at me! It keeps being rude to me!" (Or something similar to that...) And my mother explained to me that the screen does that to everyone and pointed to everyone in the audience jumping at the same time. So I put my glasses back on and watched, not as unhappily as before.

I think that sometimes in life we get what I now call "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience Syndrome". We think that life or God is picking on us, only giving us trials and challenges. When really everyone is having trials and challenges. We are all having a tough time, or we just went through one, or we're about to go through one. The trick is to remember that you aren't alone. Sometimes you have to take off those hideous 3-D glasses and look around you at everyone else in your life. Maybe the snake is jumping out at them at that moment and they need you to comfort them and listen and offer advice if they want it. And focusing on all the things that are going wrong will keep you from laughing at the funny show life is putting on for you, along with the tender moments, the blissful moments, the peaceful moments.

Thank you to all the beautiful people in my life who've taken off their glasses for me when I'm crying even over something as stupid as a fake snake popping out of a 3-D screen to comfort me and give me advice.