StinkyLemsky: A Child of the 80s Grows Up

Not just tomorrow, but today and every day

    It's time for a break in your regularly scheduled blog programming for a post acknowledging Thanksgiving. This year, Mitch and I will be staying in St. Louis (we'll be in Ohio for Christmas with his family) and eating dinner at my mom's house. It's really tough living in a separate state from your in-laws; especially if you, like me, have won the in-law lottery. The best solution we've been able to come up with for the holidays is that one family gets Thanksgiving and one gets Christmas (each year they swap). That way, when we're with one family we're 100% with them. My older sister's in-laws are in St. Louis for the holidays, so she's often scrambling to four or five family obligations over Christmas alone. At least we aren't faced with that.

    But still, it's hard.

    I'm really trying to get in the mood for the holidays and stop looking at them like they're just obligations on the calendar (put the tree up, decorate, arrange flights, get to this party, get to that party, find dresses for the above). It seems like Thanksgiving gets brushed over in favor of Christmas, and that's really a shame because I know I have so much to be thankful for.

    So, without further adieu, here is my reason for posting today... My short (not to be considered all-inclusive) list of gratitudes.

* I am thankful for my family. For their health, friendship, and companionship. I am thankful for the doctors who helped my nephew recover from spinal menengitis - they are angels.

* I am thankful for my husband. For his patience and his humor. And his obsession with the Buckeyes, of course. As I look back on our amazing wedding, I am thankful for the generosity of our parents and guests. It wouldn't have been the same without them and my memories of that weekend will last a lifetime.

* I am thankful for my job, though it often drives me crazy. I am thankful for the many leads that have come my way and I am thankful that some of them may come through in February when our office moves.

* I am thankful for my friends. Many of them live in different states, and I am thankful, oh man - am I thankful that cell phones don't charge long distance. Or roaming.

* I am thankful for my education (three more classes until graduation) and the gift of academic talent. I am thankful for the financial stability to cover the cost of school, textbooks, and parking.

* Finally, I am thankful for this chance to just be - for a few moments on a sunny Wednesday in November of 2008 - happy. My life is blessed, and I am grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!    

    

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Over the last few days I’ve been trying really hard to focus on thinking positively. Any time a negative thought pops into my head, I immediately try and catch it and think, “No negativity.” And, well, it’s kind of working. You’d be surprised by the amount of negative thoughts that can pop up in a single day, or in a single moment – especially when you consider how truly lucky you are. I have an amazing life and the greatest husband and a healthy, loving family. What do I really have to complain about? It’s been far too easy to let negative thoughts (lately they’ve been mostly related to job hunting) get me down.

I guess it’s all about perspective. Mitch and I were watching the first disc of “Planet Earth” last night, and within thirty seconds I found myself thinking, “Wow, I can’t believe we live here.” The documentary shots are so amazing that you almost feel like they’re depicting a fictional planet - like something out of an Anne McCaffrey novel. There are entire species of animals, ecosystems, and habitats that I didn’t even know existed! Watching the first episode was like seeing the ocean for the first time – the moment when you’re hit with the realization that your all-encompassing world and daily worries are so very small.

Sometimes a healthy dose of perspective shows up right when it’s most needed.