Staying Thankful

Yay, Thanksgiving, let's all be grateful and remember all the good things we have.  Yay, day-after-thanksgiving, let's all reminisce over the great thanksgiving we just had, and feel content with out families and good times.  Yay, day-after-day-after thanksgiving, let's finish up those left-overs and clean the house, finding random toys hidden and laughing over the great time we had.

Leftover Pie.
You just throw everything from dinner into it.
My Grandma Peg would be so proud

Now we're on the day-after-day-after-day-after-day-after-Thanksgiving.  It's raining.  There are flood watches in our area, actually.  My sister and BIL and their kiddos got to our house at 4:30 this morning.  We all passed out by 5:30, and then I was up and out of the house before 8.  Leaving my loved ones at my house.  And they're going to be gone before I get back.  So I kissed a few chubby, sleeping cheeks this morning, poured a large Hot-coffe-latte, and left before I started crying.

I walked away from this boy this morning.
You may refer to me as Mistress of Willpower

It is these days, the days that thankfulness doesn't come easy, that require some intentionality.  Thanksgiving day, with friends and families all around, thankfulness is easy.  The day after, when leftovers are still new, and the buns are still fresh, gratitude is second nature.  

I have more recent pictures of this sweet girl, but she'd steal your heart,
and I can't have theft on my conscience

This morning, when the stuffing is rock-hard and the mashed potatoes are gone, when my family is close but not close enough, when homesickness is threatening, being grateful is not the first thing on my mind.  But it still should be.  I have been given so much.  Even that precious hour this morning is a reason for gratitude.

Where can you find something to be thankful for on this dreary morning?  Make something up if you have to, it'll feel real eventually :)

My list:

• A fantastic weekend with my parents
• I have bathroom doors that now shut the whole way
• My Christmas tree is up and decorated and I have new memories
• My husband is wonderful and funny and devastatingly handsome
• I got to hug my sister for the first time since Summer
• My office mate brought treats from her visit home
• I like rainy days, and it's raining

Grateful even if I'm faking it,

TFW