What it means to be Grateful

Thanksgiving's come and gone and once again I find myself contemplating the true meaning of the holiday season. Cliche? Perhaps. Yet every year the season has evolved for me.

Grateful for the bird...

As children, it seems as though there is nothing quite as magical as the man in the red suit, and as we age, the season still holds the same charm in our hearts but picks up tid bits of responsibility and stress. Sounding a bit like life in general yet? To cut it short, I've dug deep this year for yuletide, and even so I've still come up a bit...

I've been doing an awful lot of thinking as to why it doesn't feel like Christmas. With only a week remaining, I've checked my calendar multiple times to confirm that we are in fact in December. Rather than let this get the best of me, last night, I reverted to doing what it is I do best; poured some pinot, grabbed my iPad, and went to Barneys- an activity I've come to refer to as The Holy Trinity. The only sign of holiday cheer was coming from the TV on in the background, playing none other than White Christmas. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. Fact: I will never want to be anyone more than Vera-Ellen cira "Mandy". The dancing, the dress, the body.

Santa, please and thank you



I found myself perusing open-toed shoes- completely unsuitable for winter here, that instead would require a plane ticket for use (perfect.) I soon heard a familiar song in the movie that sounded different then it had in year's past. Bing Crosby's voice was starting to make me see reason, as I'm sure it has this effect on most people, but I now felt rejuvenated. "When I'm worried and cannot sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep..." It wasn't long before the iPad was set down and TV turned off so I could concentrate on all of the things swirling around in my head. Most of the time during the Christmas season I find myself running around chasing a list of things I need to obtain; gifts and thank you's, from sweaters to wine, tablets to ties. I will also be the first to admit that a midst the holiday scramble, I fully participate in the act of "one for you, one for me" guilty, I raise my hand, I don't care. It lessens the blow of the long lines and wrapping..

One for me

However instead of thinking about what it was that I needed, I was busy thinking of what it is that I have. I found myself instantly feeling full, almost over-saturated in some ways, of great things that I know far too many people are missing or praying for. Health. Family. A Career. These of course sprouted off into subcategories that only made my little activity richer by the minute. I slowly began to feel the void inside me fill with wonderful faces and places I've been, people I have loved. Perhaps I may not fully warm up to jolly old Saint Nick this year, but something tells me this year is a bit more profound then those I have previously spent hours leaning off a ladder stapling lights to my house's trim. If we ever find reason to be grateful for what we have, does it matter what has made us come to this conclusion?

" It came without ribbons, it came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?" - The Grinch

What gets you in the Christmas spirit? xx