Just Be Grateful!

Christmas is in 3 days and honestly I haven't been in Christmas mode like my usual self these last few weeks which makes me a little sad. I hope to shake off this funk in the next few days since Christmas Day is soon approaching. The reason I've been in this funk is because I've had a sick child at home for the past week. But regardless, I have found ways to feel blessed and fortunate for what I have. With this said, I love my Emma and her ability to always make me see things through her beautiful eyes.

My Life Guru
Wise Beyond Her Years

One day, sometime last week, Emma and I were on our way to our local Panera for lunch and some shopping at Target for our monthly "girl time" when I began to complain about the food and our service at dinner the night before. She was quick to remind me of the fact that we should just be thankful that we're able to go to a nice restaurants and get dinner served to us regardless of the service. Her exact words were, "Mom, just be thankful that we got food when other people don't!". This wise statement made by my baby had me think about other moments in life and I realized that we tend to focus on the negative and ignore the good within.

Midnight cough treatment and smiles 

TLC and Rest
Doctor's Orders

I began to think about the last few days and how I've been feeling down about my Lily's awful cough (she had croup that is now a lingering cough that worsens at night due to post nasal drip and congestion). I realized that we are so blessed to have great health insurance, a warm home, medicine that's conveniently available, a car, and all other material things that we often take for granted. These feelings of being grateful and feeling blessed became more significant and meaningful as pictures of war torn families in Aleppo, Syria were displayed on my Instagram feed. Hence, I found it really hard to complain about my life and a cold that's easily treatable.
After this, I didn't focus so much on Lily's cough but rather accepted it and knew that regardless of the inconvenience of being awaken at night and the mild discomfort she might have, there are many other things that I could be thinking about. Such as having a loving husband who helps me out and stays up with the girls (although he has to be up early for work the next day) so that I can get some sleep, having the medical care that we have so easily available, our warm home, our cozy beds, and even the girl's general health. Bottom line is that now whenever  I begin to feel bad for myself, I look for the good and focus on the positive. I find it much easier to live this way.
BE POSITIVE! DON'T DWELL ON THE NEGATIVE!  I've had heard these encouraging words many times before, but for some reason had never paid attention to their true meaning until Emma said them. Maybe it was the way she said it, or the fact that we have told her the same words many times (they do listen) or that it was coming from the innocent mind of a 7 year old that helped me understand the true meaning of being blessed. As the new year gets closer and we begin to think about the future, I hope this post helps you guys find the positive and goodness in your bad and negative moments.