My favorite time of the year is here! I love the twinkling
of the lights, the smell of fall and winter candles burning, the singing of
Christmas carols, the holiday movies. Although
I am not a fan of the draining bank account during this season, seeing the
excitement on the children's faces makes it all worthwhile.
This past year has truly flown by very quickly. I know this
has been a very hard year for many of us. I, personally, had to battle many things
that I am still trying to overcome on a daily basis and feel I am getting a
little bit stronger everyday. Some of us have lost friends and loved ones,
others are faced with medical issues, financial woes or are battling our own
depression. It is very easy to forget all the blessings in our lives when each
time you turn on the news, you are reminded of this cruel world we live in, or
every time you drive in a car or shop in a store, you are faced with another
person's bitterness. I'm sure it does
seem that we can add the negatives in life quicker than the positives, but
sometimes you have to look deep down in your life and truly analyze the things
or people we most often take for granted.
Thanksgiving Day we have a tradition. We wake up and watch
the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, snack through the day while putting
up Christmas decorations, stuff ourselves some more with a great dinner, and
end the day with the Christmas tree beautifully decorated, lights sparkling,
watching It's a Wonderful Life, all
snuggled on the couch. It is the one tradition I truly love most and wait so
patiently all year for.
The classic holiday movie, It's a Wonderful Life, is my all-time favorite! So much so that it
is even part of my holiday décor that I started collecting several years back. Along
with our usual Christmas decorations, we put out the It's a Wonderful Life villages, ornaments, books, movie covers,
etc., and now I am happy to say I can put out a new piece this year! My
amazingly talented grandfather drew me a beautiful picture from the movie that
I will get to hang up this season. I absolutely love it and will forever
cherish it!
This movie is my topic for this blog post this year. It is very inspirational and heartwarming, and
one I think we can all truly relate to. It
is a movie that has a way of snapping my life back into reality and reminding me
of all I need to be thankful for and also, just reminding me of how blessed my
life truly is. Just like George Bailey hit hardships, so do we. Some get angry, become isolated, become
depressed, suicidal, whatever the case may be. Sometimes we lose our footing
and feel like falling, with nowhere to go but down. This was the case for
George, but he had Clarence, his angel, come to his rescue.
He got to see the world as if he were never born, and
through that experience, Clarence showed him just how much he did impact those lives around him,
including his wife, Mary, his mother, brother, etc. It put George's life into a
whole new perspective. One that sometimes we need to step back and realize as
well in our own lives. This is exactly what this movie does for me every year.
I count my blessings for each and every person in my life, as well as every
single material item. Ever notice in the movie how George never got that wealth
he wanted, or the traveling of the world? Instead, Clarence helped him to see
that perhaps the most powerful ingredient to success in life is that of being
'selfless.' Although he did not realize it, he was being selfless throughout
the movie in his many actions; he was always giving to others in the community–
giving Violet money, helping Mr. Martini purchase a home, etc. – that when he
needed help the most, at the very end of the movie, it was those in the
community that proved he was indeed, the richest man in town.
That is how I feel when I truly analyze my life – rich. Not rich as in wealthy via my bank account,
but rich because of all I have been blessed with. I have a great husband of six
years who, through our ups and downs, still loves me unconditionally; I have 3
beautiful children who have truly taught me the meaning of life and love; I
have an amazing family who has supported me no matter what, no questions asked,
never leaving my side; I have friends – true friends – and that is so rare to
find anymore; I have a roof over my head, food on the table while there are
many wishing for those very things. So
this time of year helps me to realize how blessed I am and that truly,
"It's a Wonderful Life!" We
hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving yesterday!
And a special congratulations to my sister and
brother-in-law on their blessing due in May! We are beyond excited for you
guys! We love you all and send lots of love your
way!!! xoxoxoxoxo
No comments:
Post a Comment