30 Days of Thankfulness
Day 26: Mommy and Son Decoration Day and Gingerbread House Day
My son went from no interest and no awareness of Christmas to surpassing me in my excitement.
Now my husband has to hold two people back from decorating before Thanksgiving is over.
For months my son has been saying “November 25th 2023 bye-bye pumpkins hello Christmas decorations!”
He managed to finagle his own tree and ornament out if me about a week before Thanksgiving.
On November 24th, he said “Tomorrow decorations 8am…7:30am…” and kept negotitating down to a frighteningly early time.
I was able to renegotiate for 8am, at which time he was running down the stairs on a mission, yelling, “Bye-bye pumpkins!”
And today, he pulled out the Gingerbread house…the fusion of his two favorite things—Christmas and houses—putting candy on the roof with his signature precision.
The celebration of Christmas is officially in full swing in our home.
Thankful for my son’s enthusiasm the past couple of days. It goes beyond being a happy parent because my son is happy.
The huge smiles, jumping up and down, the independence he shows in choosing decorations when we shop and pulling out decorations from their hiding places—it all represents huge strides in him peeking out of his interior world and being aware of and joining Ray and I in the the outside world. He is finally interacting with us, not just through speech, but with shared joy.
So the past couple of years I have been getting my Christmas present early.
What traditions are you thankful for that draw you closer to your people?
30 Days of Thankfulness
Day 27: Starbucks Baristas
They were there for us during the pandemic, considered essential workers.
They supply us daily with regular doses of caffeine.
They laugh with and not at me when I mess up my own order and when I come rushing back in having left without my coffee—because apparently I need caffeine in order to successfully obtain my caffeine.
And so many of them go way above and beyond.
I went through the drive thru the other day and asked for a small clean bag, explaining that my son loves to play “Starbucks” at home. Her reply?
“Oh, do you think he would like a cup, too? And stirrers?” She left and came back with an empty plastic and paper cup, tops, stirrers, and two types of bags.
When I was looking for a drink with no caffeine or sugar, the barista asked why and then offered suggestions, genuinely trying to make sure I had a positive experience despite my odd health concerns. (Passion Tango Tea—no caffeine and no sugar. Two thumbs up!)
But one story still brings tears to my eyes. At the height of the pandemic, I am at the drive thru window and I ask to pay for the person behind me. I have been asked before why I do such things, so his “Why?” was not a surprise.
I was honest. It was entirely selfish on my part. “I am having a really bad day. Trying to turn it around.”
To which he replied, “Oh, no! I am so sorry to hear that. What can I do to help YOU?”
It turns out it was his kind words that turned my day around.
Starbucks baristas do not do these things out of an excess of time. Especially now with mobile orders—endless invisible lines of people.
They roll kindness in during rush hours and holidays they should not have to work and when people are being impatient.
I don’t know about you, but I am a recovering “rusher”. Maybe it was all the years living in Manhattan. But when I am stressed and rushing, kindness can be the first thing I drop.
So these moments challenge me—if I am not taking the time to be kind, I am simply too busy.
So very thankful for Starbucks baristas today.
Be kind to them, especially during the holiday rush.
Where have you noticed exceptional service you are thankful for?
30 Days of Thankfulness
Day 28: Mobilizers
A thanks to all people who have the vision and skills to mobilize people and funds to make this world a better place.
To the person in town who collected emergency supplies to send to Israel via chartered plane at the beginning of the conflict. She posted on Facebook and received boxes of supplies on her doorstep.
To my sister-in-law who collected funds to send directly to hardest-hit families in the aftermath of the wildfires in Maui.
To people who see a global, systemic issue like human trafficking and build at organization from the ground up that not only frees people and cares for them, but also fights back at the legislative level. (AIM is my favorite one to donate to, perfect score on Charity Navigator).
Who or what organization are you thankful for on this Giving Tuesday who is out there making a difference?
30 Days of Thankfulness
Day 29: Friends
I am blessed with a diverse assortment of friends.
Friends who get me out of the house to get coffee, go for walks, and introduce me to new breakfast spots.
Friends who get me out of the state. They silence my mom guilt and give me the slight push I need to create a healthy separation from my kid.
Friends who are intentional, who at the end of dinner, while we are still in the restaurant, put a date on the calendar for our next dinner.
Friends who I have only met via zoom who sit with me weekly to write. Who encourage me even when my words and ideas are hopelessly tangled, spurring me on so I move forward instead of giving up.
I have friends who check in on Instagram, through text messages, by phone for proof of life and to ask about my day.
Friends with big hearts who make big sacrifices and show me how to love people well.
Friends with a variety of political and religious viewpoints who keep my heart soft and my mind open.
Grateful for every one of them today.
Who are you thankful for?
30 Days of Thankfulness
Day 30: You
Today is a pivot point. My son will be up until midnight, to mark the very moment that it becomes December.
As I wrap-up The Thankful Jar and pivot to Advent devotions, I just wanted to thank you all.
This exercise has me walking around with a new lens. It held me accountable to find content, something to be thankful for, daily for each post. To my surprise, there was never a deficit. I found that the more I looked for something to be thankful for, the more I saw. The problem became which thing to choose.
One day I almost wrote about the fact that I washed a bag of grapes and none of them were moldy. I was so happy.
Today I am thankful for each one of you. For reading and especially to everyone who commented, on social media and off. My favorite part of this was getting to know you all better, connecting with you.
I will keep filling my jar and hope that you will keep filling yours. Thank you, Lilly for the inspiration!