Better Late than Never: I've Been Marinating my Gratitude Post

The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.

~Eric Hoffer

How do you sum up all the things you are grateful for? You can’t, really. There are millions of blessings, small and large, for which I am thankful. This week, though, there are several that really struck home and a few that even reduced me to large, grateful tears. I’m so glad I waited until I had a few free moments to reflect on the week to share my list. Here they are, in no particular order:

::: Clementines. Oh my goodness, it’s worth the yearly wait for these gems! What’s the acceptable amount you should eat at one sitting? Because I’m afraid I far, far exceeded that number.

::: My husband. He had 5 days off of work this week. That’s enough time that both of us were able to relax, get things checked off our to-do list, spend wonderful time together as a family, and even snuggle. That happens so rarely when you have a child with special needs! And I could spend a thousand years typing more reasons why I’m grateful for my husband, but this week, it was time together that tops my list.

::: Noodle barely ate any solids or pureed food this week. She also threw up at least twice a day. It was terrible. The feeding was extremely frustrating, but it made me savor the moments she opened up her mouth and took a few bites. Little things. It’s the little things that make the most difference. I need to celebrate each {hard earned, frustrating, tiny} bite! And, on the flipside, she drank twice as much milk as normal. We are so grateful she loves milk, but she will to eat solid food at some point!

::: The smell of fresh pumpkin bread baking in the oven. I’ve made 6 loaves this week. Not sure which I like more: the smell or the taste! And the taste was pretty darn delicious. I found the recipe here. And no, I didn’t eat all 6 loaves myself! But I did make a dent in one of them. 🙂

::: I’ve wanted to get new Christmas decorations for awhile, but have done more shopping than usual lately and hated to even approach the subject with my husband. On Saturday, he suddenly decided we needed some decorations outdoors, then proceeded to list exactly the things I had wanted! I assumed he would think they were frivolous, but nope, apparently a big dose of Christmas cheer was what the doctor ordered. He even drove the “getaway car” on a shopping trip to stock up on all of it today!

::: My mom. Even when we thought my daughter would not survive her first week of life, my mom fiercely loved her. So did her other grandmother, come to think of it. They visited whenever they were allowed, sitting for hours on end in a tiny waiting room full of crazy just to see Noodle for a few minutes. And there’s so much more, but that one especially brings tears to my eyes. I’m so grateful for my Mom and her unconditional love.

::: High fives, touchdowns, giving hugs when we ask for them, drinking from a sippy cup (don’t tell her OT!) and ~~standing~~ sitting in a chair. These are Noodle’s newest tricks, and they make me melt! She also rubs her little bottom on things; I’m not sure why, but it’s pretty funny and I suppose it counts as a trick, right? Or should I be worried?

::: Our sweet beagle was with us long before we had a child, and got us through some terrible times. We brought her on every vacation within driving distance, holidays at our parents, and for long walks in the park. We snuggled the heck out of her every chance we got. But when she started growling and snapping at Noodle, tearing up her crate, and generally wreaking havoc in our house we knew we had to do something. We tried everything, but came to the painful decision to find a new home for her. By a twist of fate, our dog sitter was so smitten with her she happily adopted her into her home. She now has a “pack” of three other doggy friends, goes everywhere with her new owner (who is a dog walker/ sitter, so she gets a multitude of walks each day), and now lives in a home where she can get all the time and attention she deserves. Plus, her new owner brings her by often for visits. An “open adoption”, if you will! Could that have worked out MORE perfectly? I feel so grateful for how everything turned out, since we owe our sweetie beagle so much for all the love she’s given us!

::: My friends. God, thank you for my friends. I hope thank you is enough, because they mean so much more than I can put into words.

I think that’s enough from me tonight. Thanks to all who participated in my Gratitude Party! I’ve read all the links and loved learning more about you and reveling in your gratefulness. Let’s do that again next year!

On an end note, here are some additional quotes that fit with the theme this season. I couldn’t not post them; they are so nice and juicy to ponder!

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful. ~Buddha

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. ~Cicero

Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines. ~Satchel Paige

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John F. Kennedy

On that note, we close the book on Thanksgiving {but not the lessons learned}, and move onward toward the winter holidays. There’s still time to link up to the Gratitude Party; I promise I’ll read your link if you post it! Happy Thanksgiving!