Holiday reflections

As the Thanksgiving weekend comes to a close, I’m holding on to the warmth and joy of the holiday season. I’m also taking some time to reflect on the many things I have to be grateful for. A few, in particular this year, worth mentioning:

Life.

It’s been a difficult season for our family this year, but and we still have so much to be grateful for. I am still here. I’m still waking up on the right side of the ground. And I am so damn grateful for this life. The love I get to live in, live for and live with every single day is something special, and I will relish in that the best I can each and every day.

Family & Friends.

The care and support from our community this year has shown me a love I never knew before. Having the support of those around us not only gave us strength to punch through the difficult days, but also reinforced a day-to-day comfort and peace knowing that when life knocks us down, we’ve got an army of family and friends right by our side. I’ve found that in both seasons of celebration and in seasons of difficulty, we need our people. And I am so damn grateful for our people.

Togetherness.

I’m a people-person. An empath. A connector. Someone who likes to spend genuine time together, look people in the eye a little too long and let our souls touch for a few moments. But between a seemingly endless pandemic and bedrest (which for the record, has to be the most isolating experience ever), this mama has been starved of connection. I have a renewed gratitude for togetherness, and I am cashing in alllllll the hugs this holiday season to help refill my cup.

My children.

Being a mother is my favorite job in the whole wide world. The joy and love my children show me strips away every bit of pain and suffering that comes with the territory. They are my world, my life and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be their mother.

My husband.

And to my dearest Daniel. The trials we’ve endured this last year have challenged us in ways we’ve never known before. You saw me at my lowest, most difficult and vulnerable moments. You witnessed as I suffered through challenge after challenge, and the mental darkness that followed in the shadows of each of them. But you stood by my side, the unshakable rock I needed so dearly in each of those moments. You knew I needed your strength, your steadiness, your support. Not once did you ever show you’re own suffering, and I can’t imagine how difficult that must’ve been.

You managed our home, our family, our life. You were the glue that held us together, physically and emotionally, grinding day in and day out. And that is a burden no single person should ever have to carry alone. Your leadership and strength for our family is unmatched, and I will never forget this time, and all that you did for our family.

Through it all, you stood by my side every step of the way, and I know with certainty that I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for your presence and unwavering support, both physically and emotionally. Individually, I was strong in the moments that I needed to be, but collectively, I was broken…and you loved me any way.

We have always said, ‘as long as we have each other, everything will be OK’, and that motto hasn’t failed us yet. Even on the wildest of days, I imagine myself next to you, hand in hand, in the eye of the storm as the world rages around us. In these moments, I know with the deepest of certainty, that we’re in this together, forever. Thank you for being my person, my partner and my one true love.

Peace, love & gratitude,

XO

SS