Thankful and Grateful…
I have been missing in action for the past 5 months. So much happened over this year, both good and bad. I struggled a lot, cried a little, grieved, hugged my loved ones and became stronger and contented than ever. What a ride it has been! Extremely thankful and grateful for the lessons learned and for the memories made.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, my older son asked me what have I been writing in my blog lately. I appreciate how my 10 yrs old keeps tabs on my pet project and encourages me to write more. I felt low, a bit embarrassed to tell him that I have been occupied with so many things and haven’t thought about the blog in months. As always my wise child pointed out that it was OK to take a break to concentrate on the rest of the tasks. But not OK to put my passion to rest permanently. So, here I am to wrap this year with gratitude and feeling thankful for whatever it has offered to me.
Grief and peace
My mother-in-law’s sudden demise left us all in grief. But we are thankful that her suffering did not prolong and she passed away peacefully. I kept thinking about the time we spent together and all that I have learned from her. It took a long time for the grief to turn into peace. To realize that she is finally at rest and will be in our memories forever.
Single parenting
With my husband attending his ailing mother halfway around the world, I had to juggle work, kids, and errands all alone. The entire summer was spent single parenting. I always have great respect for single parents, but being there and single parenting first hand made me humble and thankful for the simple things that I take for granted. Much respect and prayers to all those strong parents out there.
Nothing exciting, same as always
We would not realize how much we will miss the “nothing exciting, same as always” phase until we see the worse. We never went on exotic vacations or lavish trips. Sometimes I have felt that life seems to be clockwork managing work, family and chores. But during my single parenting phase, I yearned for “same as usual” phase.
Every day we complain about traffic, co-workers, weather and lots of other things. But these are so trivial compared to a loss of a loved one, heart-breaking divorce or life-threatening health issues. This year made me realize how joyful the mundane days are!
Unfulfilled resolutions and broken promises
There are many resolutions that went unfulfilled this past year. Gave up some resolutions midway due to circumstances and some due to lack of interest. Either way, I am thankful for the learning process. Trying a new task and giving it our best is always better than just dreaming about it.
This year, I took part in many community activities and I feel thankful and grateful for the opportunity. Whereas few of my resolutions slipped by unfulfilled.
The new year is just around the corner and I’m grateful to be alive to work towards my goals. Some day I will achieve them. Until then, I will keep working and striving to reach the goal.
Happy Holidays!