Gratitude for Change
Days surrounded by family. Time to go through boxes full of memories. Afternoons of transitioning holiday decor. Evenings in fits of laughter as we show our competitiveness through strategy games and rounds of Mario Kart.
🍂 Gratitude came alive in moments of peace {even when the peace was anything but quiet}.
🍂 Gratitude is abundant as we safely gathered with people we haven't been able to embrace in over a year.
🍂 Gratitude filled our hearts as we watched a new generation of kids make holiday memories, as we now understand why our parents would let us stay up so late when holiday gatherings would go well into the night.
These days are irreplaceable and if there is one thing we have come to value, it is our time together. Last year, like many, we enjoyed the holiday at our own home. The festive chaos was quite calm due to the needs to keep ourselves and loved ones safe from the flurry of unknowns.
This year we were able to get together again and it didn't go without noticing that while the feast was similar, the festivities were changed.
🍴 We were broken into smaller clusters of families. Not the big hoopla with all the aunts and uncles and cousins somehow under one roof. Yet we still called, messaged, and had video chats thanks to technology.
🗞 There was a moment of pause when we realized no one had a newspaper so everyone could tear apart the ads and the kids could make ridiculously extensive wish lists. There was no chatter about who was heading to the stores for midnight or 5am deals. Instead, we gave the kids clothing sizes, agreed to focus on gifting experiences versus more "things", and got back to games and lively conversation. We got back to what makes us feel connected.
The times have changed.
Traditions have shifted.
And while I certainly still miss the massive family gatherings, my heart is filled with so much gratitude for the stillness we have come to embrace. I hope you have also found the time to be still and find gratitude for the moments that surround you.
✨
Stay grateful. Stay well.
