We love the holiday season. It’s the time of year when we get to fill each moment with the things we love while reflecting on all we’re thankful for. The last couple of weeks have passed by in a blur of activity, of family, friends, Thanksgiving, and, of course, football. It’s hard to imagine all that has come and gone in the short span of a couple of weeks.
The Greatest Kid On The Planet played his last football game of the season. And it was an epic one at that, a game we will never forget. The season came to an end with a well deserved and fought for run for the championship. It was an amazing adventure with an amazing group of people that ended with a second-place medal for The Greatest Kid and his teammates. The disappointment of not coming home with the big win was overshadowed by the excitement of the entire event, the immeasurable pride we feel for a team that overcame numerous challenges during a difficult season, and, most of all, the immense love we feel for the people we shared all of those moments with.
It was a season of great accomplishment for a tremendous group of boys, numerous personal victories for The Greatest Kid, and one we will always remember. But as we look back on all we experienced during the last few months, it’s the friendships, both new and enduring, which we know will continue throughout the ever-changing seasons that we are thankful for the most.
I’ve often heard it said that an attitude of gratitude is the best gift you can give yourself, and I believe this is true. I believe the Universe brings us what we wish for, and that when we give thanks for all we have and for the people around us, we are, in fact, asking the Universe to bestow upon us more of the same.
With this in mind, my thoughts have been lingering on a well-known quote that I came across a while ago. It says, “I am thankful for my struggle because, without it, I wouldn’t have stumbled across my strength.”
I have tremendous respect for Alexandra Elle. She is a woman of incredible strength and courage and an inspiration to so many. But when I ponder this particular quote, I have to wonder, if it is gratitude through which the Universe delivers, then shouldn’t we be careful what we’re thankful for?
It would seem those periods in our lives when we find it hardest to express gratitude are, in fact, the moments when we need it the most. We will all, at some point, suffer through disappointment and hardship, grief and heartache, and moments when we’re sure we will break.
But even though we can’t see it at the time, the hardest trials in our lives often lead us to our greatest victories. When I look back at where I was years ago, I can see how the struggles I faced led me to where I am now. I see a time of tremendous pain and uncertainty that put me on a path to a sense of peace I never thought I would find. And I can see how the greatest heartache I’ve ever endured led me to a place where I discovered the greatest love I have ever known.
And while I can honestly say the things I gained and the lessons I learned through my hardest days were life-changing, I feel no gratitude for the pain and the heartache I faced. I believe everything happens for a reason, but I would not choose to live through those days again.
So, no, I am not thankful for my struggles, but I do feel a tremendous sense of gratitude for the lessons I learned from each one.
From the seasons in my life when I felt at my lowest, I gained strength and wisdom I might not have otherwise known. And it was during those times when I thought I most surely would break that I gained clarity from chaos, found the courage to turn heartache into resilience, and learned to choose faith over fear.
These are the things I am thankful for.
But through it all, I am most thankful for the people who were there for me when my world fell apart, who helped me to heal when I felt broken, and who showed me what it means to give love freely and unconditionally, without guilt, agenda, or judgment.
It’s the people in my life that I express gratitude for daily. I believe no matter the hardships we endure, the terrible mistakes we make, or how broken we may feel, if we can find it in ourselves, even in our darkest moments, to express gratitude for the things we do have, the Universe will conspire to bring people into our lives who will help bring us out of our pain and into something so much greater.
For us, the next few weeks will pass by in a blur of activity. The Greatest Kid and I will fill our days with family and friends, holiday music and decorating our tree, and celebrations one after the other. And through it all, we will, as always, say thank you for our home and our health. But, mostly, we will thank the Universe for the people we love who make our lives abundant and full. And we will make the most of the moments we spend with each and every one.
For out of everything we can think of to ask of the Universe, out of everything we have and all we’ve been given, those moments are what we wish for the most.
M.C. Greene
(This lovely photo was taken by Sweta Meininger)