I love Christmas time. LOVE IT! Everyone is happy. Lights and decorations are everywhere. Music plays wherever you go. It’s just a magical time of year.
This time of year can also be depressing. I get really caught up in the things I didn’t accomplish throughout the year. I didn’t lose the weight I wanted to. I didn’t travel where I wanted to go. I didn’t save as much as I would have liked. I still didn’t organize that junk drawer. I didn’t become a movie star and make a billion dollars. *sigh*
There are so many reasons people don’t like this time of year. Or why it depresses them. It’s hard. I’ve lost loved ones. People are sick. My family had Christmas one year in a hospital waiting room because my Papa had been there for two months. So many reasons. It’s hard. It’s sad.
But there are so many reasons to be thankful. So very many reasons. Focusing on reasons to be happy and thankful make this time of year special. It keeps my mind off the negative.
Things I am thankful for (in no particular order):
Dogs – Monster and Zeek are the best dogs. You may think yours are he best, but they aren’t because mine actually are. My dogs are sweet and love me no matter what.
Photography – I love it. It’s my favorite hobby. No two pictures are the same because things are always changing. It’s amazing to think you are capturing a moment exactly as it was forever.
Sunshine – because even after the storm, the sun peeks through to remind you that it is still there.
Potatoes – because yum.
Friends – they are family you choose. They lift you up. They love you. They know you sometimes better than anyone else. Some of my biggest supporters are my friends.
Family – they remind you where you come from and who you truly are. They make us who we are.
My parents – they have been married 26 years. I know it hasn’t always been easy for them, but they taught me how to work out your differences and make things work. They taught me how to love and care for others.
My sister – she’s my best friend. We talk a lot. We are very different, but we both know we can lean on and trust one another.
My husband – ok ok, he’s my BEST friend. Marriage is weird. But I love doing life with him. There are hard days, long weeks, trying months, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. He makes me happy. He makes me laugh harder than anyone else. We have inside jokes. We have finally mastered the nonverbal, facial expressions only conversations. And it’s totally hilarious. He believes in me. He holds me accountable. He wants the best of me and supports me like no other. He knows everything about me – my quirks, my bad habits, he knows I do not have a talent for singing (but I sing anyway), I am a cover hog, and joke around way too much – but he loves me anyway. So much so that he agreed to put up with all of that forever. Poor fella.
The beach – my mind is constantly running a million miles a minute. The beach is where I can totally relax. The sound of the waves drowns out everything. It’s peaceful.
My job – I love what I do. “You like digging in people’s mouths everyday?” Yep. But it’s more than that. Making relationships, meeting new people, seeing people get so excited because they finally like their smile, my amazing coworkers and awesome boss – that’s why I love my job.
Home – I am so thankful for our tiny apartment. We have packed so many memories into that apartment the past two years. It’s the first place we have lived away from our hometown. It has hosted friends and family. It’s where Zeek came into our family. And I’m thankful we have a place to lay our heads every night. It may be small, it may not be fancy, but it’s ours. It’s Home.
Polka dots – they just make me happy.
Church – it’s so awesome to be part of such a great community. These people love and support one another. They greeted my husband and I with open arms and make us feel like family. It’s a big church, so it can be easy to get lost in the crowd. But that just makes more opportunities to meet new people! I am constantly meeting new people and I love it! I am so thankful Wesley has the opportunity to serve in Kids’ ministry and I am grateful to serve beside him. Seeing those smiling faces (a lot of them missing a few front teeth) waving frantically and their little voices saying ” Hi Mrs Ashley!!” makes all my bad days worth it. Getting cards with words and my name spelled wrong make my heart smile. The drawings of stick people with heads bigger than the rest of their body make me giggle. Those kids have no idea how much they mean to me and how much I will always love them.
Sampson County – my home forever. Where I learned to drive a tractor, where I learned to fish, where I picked watermelons at 6am, where I went to school, where I got my southern accent, where I became me. It will always be Home.
Jesus – he is the best and loves me literally always and forever. He cares, loves, and thinks of me. He picks me up when I’m down and shows me the way when I’m lost. I could not do anything without him. I am forever thankful.
Reminding myself of the reasons why I’m thankful helps me so much. There are so many reasons to be happy, to be thankful, to be joyful. Anxiety and depression comes, but it also goes. I am thankful for the times when it is gone and I remind myself of my “thankful list” when it comes at me. The list may be a little silly, but I find joy in the little things. Even potatoes.
Merry Christmas everyone! Be thankful and joyful today and everyday.
AMS
I’m Fine, Thanks 