A Message of Gratitude

It is time to send a message of gratitude into the universe.  The events of the last week or so have proven to me that there is much to be grateful for, even during times of loss, pain, and frustration.  And, appreciation and gratitude can make those uncomfortable feelings a bit more bearable.

I am grateful for my family.  The husband and boy, of course, top the list.  We are definitely a family unit, relying on each other, taking turns being the “rock” or “the soft place to land” when facing situations in the world.  Our extended family comes next, knowing that we can rely on them is a blessing.

I am grateful for our friends. . . near and far.  Their support, understanding, sense of humor, and compassion know no boundaries and for this I am thankful.

I am grateful for our involvement in various community wide activities and groups.  Reason being that it expands our circle of friends and acquaintances and gives us purpose and reason for what we do each day.

I am grateful for the Williams Family Blog readers.  Even though personally, the last few days have been hard, there were others finding great joy in our stories as they planned for magical Disney vacations.

I am grateful for Disney.  (You knew I would get it in there somewhere!)  Our next trip is a beacon of hope; the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel conveying us forward.  A few weeks ago, we were talking about the countdown to our next trip, and the husband said we would have to get through a lot of "#&*%" between now and then.  Little did he know!  I chided him in the last few days about putting that particular sarcastic message into the universe as it came back even bigger than we could have known at the time. 

As we were driving to my mom’s memorial service yesterday, the husband’s mom, Carol, and I were talking about our “unusual” passion for Disney.  Okay, unusual for her, I get that.  I told her how a colleague of mine had scoffed when she learned that 10,000 people apply to be Disney Mom’s each year with a comment of, “You mean there are 10,000 other crazy people like you?”  That, the mother-in-law understood.  I also said 32 million people travel to Walt Disney World every year, so I am definitely in good company.  That she got, it is just that we have a handful of “Disney friends” nearby.  One was jogging by our house the other morning when the husband was walking the dog and turned around in mid-jog to inform the husband that they were leaving today.  I can imagine the joy and anticipation that person was experiencing!  We are definitely not alone in our passion for Disney even if our family and close friends don’t “get it.”

The comforting messages continue to flow into our hearts and home.  And, it is with gratitude that we move forward on our journey with the simple, yet powerful, thank you.