Gratitude Turns What You Have Into Enough

It is the season of giving Thanks in USA. Families from all over the country are gearing up for sharing meals and expressing gratitude for having families and friends to share their meals with. It is a beautiful event, that slows down our fast life and forces us to take stock of everything and everyone that we hold near and dear to us.

Memories

It reminds me of the times when I spent these few days with our family members. My husband’s cousins from all over USA gather in one place with their family members, every year during Thanksgiving break.They say that real life lies in the simple things that we experience. I would be one of the first ones to be awake. There I would be, holding a hot cup of water, just relishing the beautiful sight of sunrise, waiting for the whole house to be awake. If there is beauty in silence, chaos comes with its own kind of charm.

In the next half-an-hour, an entire household, consisting of about 10 to 15 families will wake up, and bring with it the sounds of adults joking around, children demanding food, smells of delicious coffee brewing, music running in the back ground clashing with the sounds of dishes and pans in the kitchen.

Living in the moment

When I want to live in any moment of time, whether calm or chaotic, I take a step back, physically as well as in my mind, and just take in the whole scene as if I’m a part of it and yet I’m away from it. It puts a whole new perspective and makes you appreciate the present like nothing else can. It makes you truly thankful for all the little and big things in your life.

I’m thankful for ….

1. Each and every Thanksgiving get-together with my family members which created the home away from home. Meeting relatives, making lunches and dinners together, singing and dancing the night away, chatting for hours together, again late in to the night, watching your children bond with their cousins, and simply being present in the moment …all your worries and tensions left far far behind. That’s a lot to be thankful for!!

2. My husband who has been with me through thick and thin, through every up and down that life has thrown our way. I can not imagine or wish for a better life partner. We complement each other in strengths and weaknesses, in agreements and fights, in the lows and highs of our relationship and for that I’m ever thankful!

3. My children who turned a naive little girl into a strong woman and mother. If they had not entered in my life, I would not have grown to be what I’m today. Every challenge that they faced and brought in to my life, I’ve grown with them. The first day that I brought them home from the hospital was a challenge of its own. As I held their hand in my hand, and the moment they grabbed my finger, a priceless moment in and of itself, I was hooked for the rest of my life. From the moment they were born to the moment their little extensions will be born, I will forever be thankful!!

4. I’m thankful for the first silence of the morning, when the entire household is still fast asleep.I’m extremely grateful for that first sip of my coffee that makes me go … aaahhhh. I’m so thankful for the sounds of the pressure cooker, pots and pans, as I go about preparing lunches for all of us. But, I’m most thankful for the sleepy good mornings that I get from my family, as they reluctantly step out of the comfort of their beds.

5. Finally, I’m just very thankful for being alive and the sensations that it brings with it. Yes, life can throw some very big challenges from time to time. But, it is those difficulties that bring growth in our lives and make us aware of our existence. I’m so grateful for the momentous feeling I get when I cross another hurdle and come out victorious. So, bring it on life … give me another good reason to be thankful in this season of thanksgiving!!