Gratitude – When/Where I’m Thankful
Good morning! I am sure most of you are as excited as I am this will be a short week. Our kids actually do have school Monday and Tuesday but after that we are going to be doing the turkey dance right into the weekend. For the first time in forever I will have all of my kids in one place and that always makes me so happy!
In case you have missed it, The Blended Blog is hosting a gratitude linkup each Monday in November with a prompt to share what we are thankful for. Last week I shared Who and What I am Thankful for and today I’m sharing When and Where I’m Thankful.
Saturday evening I headed down to my hometown and spent the night so I could share a Thanksgiving dinner with my Mamaw at the assisted living home she resides in. Let’s just say, I definitely don’t go for the food. I was on such a roll at home knocking out my to do list and it would have been so easy to find a good excuse not to attend.
While I was there I received a text from Keith asking if I wanted to have a fish fry that evening. Ummm…no! He and Dillon fished the coast on Saturday and caught a bunch of trout and it would mean not just us but finding friends to invite over. My list of things to do surfaced in my mind again and I told him absolutely not. Then I remembered the 7 gallon bags of fish already in my freezer and I decided why not. So I rounded up some friends to help us eat the fish.
So what does all this have to do with when and where I’m thankful? You see, so many times we pass on the things that make us feel the most grateful for things that don’t even fill us up. Passing on the busy work and filling my house with good friends and screaming kids blessed me. Seeing my Mamaw and spending time with her when I know our time is probably limited (although her sass may keep her alive longer than all of us) blessed me.
This morning I walked into my kitchen and saw the sink overflowing with dirty dishes but it did not make me want to explode because my heart feels so peaceful. Spending time with others; loving on them and letting them love me in return, is when I feel thankful deep down in the core of my heart!
So as we head into the busiest season of the year, don’t forget to take a little time out from buying gifts for all those people in your life and just spend some time with them! It’s amazing what a little laughter can do for your soul.
Now it’s your turn! Head over to The Blended Blog and linkup what you are thankful for.
Whoop whoop to a turkey dance and your Mamaw is beautiful. I bet it makes her so happy when you visit! Her sweet gal I am sure!
Yep, Love the image of the turkey dance. You are so sweet to your Mamaw (that’s what I called both of mine) Have a great Monday friend!!!
I love this so much! Isn’t it amazing how being peaceful and content can lead to less resentment about the little things – like dishes?! Also, that image of your Mamaw is just beautiful. She’s a gorgeous woman <3 Happy Monday!
LOVE that pic! Y’all are so dang pretty!
Awwww, s sweet and such a gentle reminder for us all to live in the moment and not sweat the small things. A fish fry sounds FABULOUS and I wish we lived closer because I’d have shown up! Ha! Oh, that mamaw of yours just steals my heart. Look at how fabulous she looks! Such sass and spirit. You are right all of these things bless us. You have such a servant’s heart Shelly!
xo,
Kellyann
Such a great reminder to remember what is really important this holiday season. So glad you got to spend time with your mamaw and friends.
‘loving on them and letting them love me in return’ —– that is exactly what it’s about!
So sweet! I’m glad you did it all instead of your to-do list!
Awwww I love this post. Spending time with people who are important is worth so much more than any present could be.
Shelley – Mamaw is so beautiful. Like you. And oh – how many times have I chose the “to do” list over people. Makes me sad to think of it. Glad you didn’t
Cathy I am the Queen of choosing my to do list! Especially when it comes to spending time with Keith…truth be told it was originally my idea to fish this past weekend and when it came down to it I chose my list. 🙂 Baby steps right?
Amen! It Seems we all get caught up in the busyness of the season and before we know it it’s gone in the blink of an eye. This year my vow is to slow it down and really soak it up.
I’m so glad you had us over! The food was delicious but the time with friends was the icing on the cake!