Gratitude Lane

Every year as Thanksgiving approaches there are many thoughts that begin to go through my mind.  Among them are the typical thoughts of the holiday season that involve anxieties, timelines, and planning, planning…did I mention planning!   Checklists, menus, and engagements all begin to pile up.  In today’s age of social media, it is so easy to get overwhelmed with false expectations and unrealistic (and frankly fake) comparisons.  But this year instead of allowing these distractions to be my focus, I have committed to a real season of Gratitude.  It may sound corny, but I want to stay on a path down “Gratitude Lane.”

Things in the Prendergast home have been a bit chaotic over the past few weeks.  Nothing worth getting into specifics–just the typical life stressors that pile up until facing the day can feel overwhelming.  But I have found it way easier to take my lemonade and find the sugar in every tough moment.  To me this is what Thanksgiving is really about–not a picture perfect table set to impress Facebook or a recipe that could put Pinterest to shame.  No…Thanksgiving is about acknowledging our blessings and really sitting down and resting with them in gratitude.  Its looking at those beautiful imperfections and realizing that they are part of a bigger masterpiece that God is weaving into my life.  This week I plan to focus on each of you–my friends and family–that make up the threads my life.  Sometimes we can be so wrapped up in the tiny (usually silly) details of life that we forget to take a step back and take in the big picture.

So my promise to myself and my family this holiday season is to do this more starting today.  I am so excited for Thanksgiving to kick off a holiday season which magnifies only gratitude and a focus on the real reason for His season.  So, friends if you catch me stressing or complaining (lets face it it will happen) I ask you to give me a swift shove back onto my walk down Gratitude Lane. Happy Thanksgiving!  Hope its your best yet.

~Rachel