thankful - 30 - christmas

I'm thankful for all the holidays that fill people's hearts with happiness, love, excitement, warming traditions.  Christmas is one of those in my family.  My kids have been listening to holiday music now for a couple of weeks!  That's, admittedly, a bit much for me, but the music is happy and makes them happy... which, yeah, makes me happy too.

One tradition is to walk among the fairy-tale-type lights.  Normally we end up doing it when we're freeeezing because, well, December tends to be on the cool side.  This round, there was a nip due to the wind, but it was coming after a really mild day.  Perfectly timed, pretty much. :)

    

thankful - 29 - twilight

I love twilight, and I'm always thankful to experience it.  Sometimes (often?) life is about enjoying the rush and adventure, the strong energy of brightness and dark, but other times it's more subtle: the pause between breaths, the transition, just standing there as sky colors turn to muted bliss and the sound of birds clutters the air with special melody.

Saturday night, so very perfect:

thankful - 28 - mindfulness

Mindfulness is quite the buzz word in recent years.  I have no desire to only think of the present moment.  I like and appreciate looking both to the past and future for a blend of growth, memories, dreams, foundation, flight, healing, the bigger picture.  Still, it's important to not get stuck in either of those and sometimes to just be deeply present in the exact present.

Nature walks with my people are one of the times when I'm fully here, feet as roots, heart wide open, capturing everything going on and feeling wholly here and alive, feeling absolutely in love with the world around me.

I'm thankful for moments of profound mindfulness just when they're needed the most.

This weekend -

thankful - 27 - art & love notes

My kids regularly give me tokens of love.  I'm thankful for their creativity and willingness to express their emotions.  A recent favorite is my portrait by J.  He said it was me in a costume. :D