Thankful, Grateful, Family

With "grateful" trending on social media, I saw a video of a man grateful for the pills he had to swallow this year. One of them being you don't really matter to people so don't let them matter so much to you. I know I know, not very holiday cheery or "press play" on Mariah Carey. I watched the video over and over so I could let the words sink in. Obviously, the takeaway isn't "screw everyone, I'm going to live in a tower over who-ville with my dog Max and ruin everyone's Christmas." 

 

*cough cough feel for you Grinch cough*

We live in a weird time: technology advances are incredible, chatGPT can plan your vacations with one search, and our iPhones are made of TITANIUM. The problem with technology is it has allowed everyone to become viral over anything. Health and fitness advice is given from just about anyone. The pressures of what a perfect family should be and look like. The social pressures of having a plethora of bridesmaids, always going out/traveling, or having the best fashion-forward clothes. The best is the pressures of the holidays. If we aren't showing up with the top 10 gifts of the year we are told by so many just get along with our family members for one day. That one makes me chuckle. I love my siblings and we are all so different. We met completely different people that make us happy and we have made our own little families. 

That is the magic of growing up. 

All we truly want for our family members is for them to live a happy life. If that means having animals and a ranch-style house, having a huge yard with children, or living in an apartment in the city and ending the night with a glass of wine. I explain this same concept to my husband daily. As teenagers become young adults they aspire to have their own life and soon their own family. That my friend doesn't make you a bad Dad regardless of what the peanut gallery continues to say. You never stop being a parent your role just looks a little different. Heck, they might find themselves saying "My dad used to do this let's do that, or whatever we do let's not do what parents did".

 That is OKAY too, people make mistakes and they learn. 

I guess what I am trying to say is that I am still swallowing that pill. The pill that allows me to focus on all the GOOD I have in my life, instead of all the things people want to fault me for. I admit that I'm not perfect although I want to be more than anything else. I have overreacted over certain things which I internalize and regret. The problem is I bottled too many things inside and swallowed the wrong "pills". I let things happen to just not start an argument, which then causes a "Mary explosion". 

This year I am grateful/thankful for all the people who reminded me on even my worst day that I'm only human. I am thankful for the paths my siblings have chosen to become the best version of them. I am thankful for my husband's family who plays a huge role in creating a family for me that is far from where I grew up. Lastly, I am thankful for my husband because we constantly prove that with each other and our nighttime prayers, we can conquer all. 

To all the Negative Nancy's, take some vacation this holiday season from being a hater. The holidays are a hard time for all. Instead of saying terrible things, try saying something nice for the next month. You'll feel much better for it. Happy Thanksgiving, safe travels, and much love.