It’s hard to believe that we’re in the thick of the Holiday season, but it’s HERE! And while 2020 has been quite the crapshoot in soooooo many ways, there’s still some goodness in the world, and I’ve been able to find a few things to be thankful for. The holiday season always gives me the warm and fuzzies, and I love taking moments to reflect on what’s happened over the last 12 months and think about what I’m thankful for. This year is no different, and despite the craziness that has been 2020, I’m thankful for so much.
Specifically, these 5 things:
Slow, Quiet Mornings
Back in 2010, I was off for 10 months. The company I’d worked for for the last 6 years had lost it’s contract, and instead of getting placed with a new job, I decided to take my severance package and take off for a few months. IT. WAS. GLORIOUS. I wasn’t up at the crack of dawn or fighting people in traffic, and while I immediately went into the worst year of my life once I hit that 10 month mark, I vowed to one day get to a place where I could savor my mornings again. It took a few jobs, years and a change in career to get back there, but every day I am thankful that I no longer have to start my day off in a panic trying to get some where by 8am. It’s a blessing that I don’t take for granted.
Close Family Ties
Last night my brother Kevin and I were talking about our family, and how things have changed with our generation. Every holiday season since we were kids, we would gather at one uncle’s house for Thanksgiving, and one aunt’s house for Christmas (on our mom’s side). If we didn’t get to see them at any other time, this would be the night where we would get with our cousins and laugh and catch up. As we’ve grown up and people have moved away, things have definitely changed. While I still have some cousins that I talk to regularly (Hi Stanley!), we’ve grown apart even though the love is definitely still there. Our immediately family, however, is still VERY close, and we’ve started to create our own traditions together. I love being able to tease my nieces regularly, or go for a girls day with my sister in law. Are our relationships perfect? HEEEEECK no, but we’ve all learned to look past our differences and still come together as much as possible. Now more than ever we need that familial closeness, and I’m thankful that I have that with mine.
Good Health
By the grace of God no one in my family has been touched by COVID, and I pray it stays that way, but more importantly, so many of my family members have beat the odds when comes to just “every day” illnesses. My brother had a heart transplant, one niece found out she had diabetes, the other discovered she had an Autoimmune Disorder and was hospitalized for almost 2 months, and here we are this holiday season, all still healthy, happy and thriving. This has been a year of loss for so many people, so for my family to still be here and relatively healthy? I could cry about it because it’s such a blessing.
Financial Security
Who would’ve thought that the year we have a global pandemic would be the year I was the most financially stable IN MY LIFE. Even in years past where I worked a “good job” and was making bank, I still was not financially stable because I didn’t have a great relationship with money. I truly believe that the year that I lost so much and basically had to start over from scratch (2010/2011) prepared me to learn to live below my means, and while I do still have some moments where I have to catch myself (Target is the devil and tries to take all my money, lol), I’m still in awe that I’m ok and no longer stressed about money. My business changed a bit during lockdown, BUT, because I built a career with services that people still needed, work never really stopped. For that I am thankful.
A Creative Outlet with Purpose
I’ve been blogging for 10 years now, and while I take mini breaks here and there, I honestly can’t see myself stopping. I didn’t get into blogging to make money, I got into it because I wanted to share my thoughts and finds related to fashion, beauty, things going on in the city, etc. The content has evolved through the years, and I’ve been able to monetize it in a cool way, but because of my WHY, it never feels like work, nor do I hate what I’m doing. If anything, I wish I could be doing it full time but I’m not at that point, and may never get there (AND THAT’S OK). It’s always been about the journey and connecting with others for me. It’s an amazing industry to be a part of at any level if you’re in it for the right reasons, so I’m super thankful for what I’ve been able to experience thus far.
There are so many other things I am thankful for, but I wanted to take a sec and share these because I think it’s so important to check in with yourself-even if things aren’t always going your way. This time of year always holds a little magic for me, and I hope some of that spreads to you as well.
What’s something (big or small) that you’re thankful for?
