Christmas Eve and counting your blessings.....

As I sit and unwind from my crazy hectic day I reflect on the past year. The changes in my life, the completion of some task and the beginning of others.  I think about those we have lost in the last year as well as those who have joined our informal network family.  Some of them have made my life so much easier and well some have given me a few life lessons in patience.

On this Eve of Christmas 2012 I want to remind everyone that yesterday is past, is we cannot change it or do anything about the things we have survived. But survived we have.  The future is unknown and cannot be fathomed until it arrives.  So plan for it but do not plan on it.  The only thing we truly have is here and now.  This second in this universe, and we are not guaranteed any more than that.

Show those you love how much you appreciate their presence in your life. For we never know when our time is done and we will have no more tomorrows.  Be grateful for every blessing you enjoy because at any time they can be taken away.  Never assume that your best friend will always be your best friend.  People grow and change and anything can change in a moment, an exchange of words said in the heat of a battle can forever alter the way you see each other.  Always think before you speak because words can often inflict just as much damage as actions or blows.

Look around you and although you may be poor in finances you are often rich in the blessings that surround you.  I am not a rich person in finances but I am very rich in the true friends I have and the wonderful life experiences I have had.  I am surrounded by people who not only love me but who also always have my back in troubled times.

Never allow your dark days to prevent you from enjoying the sunshine.  My grandmother who passed this year always told me, you cannot truly appreciate the beautiful weather if a little rain doesn't fall on your garden.  Why is it that older people have the oddest sayings?  I knew what she meant but she always had the most colorful way of expressing them to me.

As I sit and sip my coffee and watch my dogs play I realize how truly blessed I am.  And how lucky I am to live with those I share my home with. Each one a fighter in their own sense. Overcoming adversity to become what they are now.  Some have seen the worst humanity has to offer and still manage to love unconditionally.  Some have gone through far more than I will ever experience and yet they still manage to be happy and live in the moment.

On this eve of Christmas I just wanted to take a moment and say how truly thankful I am and how truly blessed I am.  Had I not survived the things I have survived I would not have gained the wisdom I now have.  For that I am thankful.  To all I wish a Happy Holiday season and hope that you will have many more to enjoy during your lifetimes. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.