The holiday’s are often a mixed blessing we get to spend time with our family and loved ones, but at the same time, there is a lot of pressure to entertain, host and present perfection. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and forget what the season is all about. It just takes me one look through a family photo album to be reminded of all I have to be so thankful for. I have a wonderful family, an incredible man in my life, amazing friends and beautiful life and I have been truly blessed.
2017 has been a year of challenges. From the beginning with the loss of my dad, our family would never be the same. Although everyone must experience the loss of loved ones’ and everyone knows that it’s a part of life, it doesn’t make it any easier when it happens. My dad had been sick a long time but you still can’t believe it when you get the phone call that he’s now in heaven. You do what everyone does and you start to adjust to your new normal. It’s been a year of firsts without him and sometimes you think your adjusting just fine and sometimes something unexpected will bring back the pain.
Just when we thought we were getting better we found out that my mom has had a recurrence of ovarian cancer so we settle in for the next fight. Scared but determined, once again we’ve been reminded of how blessed we are, family and friends stepping in to make sure that she’s taken care of. Another reminder of how much we have to be thankful for. We miss our dad but we have countless memories and we know that he’s no longer sick.
It can be so easy to stay focused on what has gone wrong, what you don’t have or what you need but I remind myself everyday that I have so much to be thankful for. During this time of thanksgiving I take extra time to focus on what is truly important.
Flipping through those photos, old and new I can’t help but remember how very thankful I am.
-Trina