4 Things I am Grateful for this Christmas

One of my favorite things about social media is when you are scrolling through and that one post jumps out at you and really hits home.
 
A couple of days before Christmas, I read a Tony Dungy post on X and it was one of those moments. I had been so internally focused on preparing training material, creating new content and prepping for Christmas that this post served as a wake-up call.
 
Okay, let me be honest. I wasn't prepping for Christmas. I AM the meme of the dad staring in bewilderment as the family opens their gifts because it’s my first time seeing them as well. Thanks Jenny! But it is a crazy and hectic time of the year as you prepare for family gatherings, the annual high school basketball tournaments, and working your way through multiple to-do lists. 
 
The post by Tony Dungy was so heartfelt and honest that I had to stop, reflect, and then screenshot it because I wanted to reread it during my own quiet time. Over the next couple of days, I would go back to the post and as I contemplated what he wrote, a waterfall of thoughts and memories flooded my mind.
 
Christmas is a lot different than when I was a kid and even from when my kids were young. It looks different, it feels different, heck it IS different. But what hasn’t changed is the overwhelming feeling of love.
 
Grateful for Feeling Small
No, not that type of small. The cold, hard reality is that during the festivities and merriment over the holidays, I will not be getting any smaller! But as Tony Dungy pointed out indirectly in his post, the part we play in life is really very small, but the impact is oh so large to what really matters.
 
The last few years, as a family we have been going to the Christmas Eve Service at Greentree Christian Church. This is a new tradition in my family but one that really becomes more impactful each year. It is an amazing experience that bring together sound, sight and thought that is felt ultimately with your heart.
 
Grateful for Feeling Connected
We spend Christmas Eve with friends which has been a tradition since our kids were small and something we have looked forward to each and every year. The format has changed, as has the people who attend, but the result of enjoying the connections made and friendships strengthened is always special.  
 
The cards and letters you receive have given way to social media pictures and posts. But while the method may have changed, the smiles it puts on your face has not. A simple text to a friend or receiving a text from a mentor instantly reconnects that connection with only a few words. A warm thought, a funny meme, or a family picture carries with it so much more than bytes of data.
 
Grateful for Feeling the Enduring Love of Family
After my dad passed away, we started a tradition of going to Waffle House on Christmas morning before driving to my mom’s. Yes, I said Waffle House because the floors are extra “slidey” and dude, it’s one heck of a breakfast place! My Dad LOVED breakfast and growing up when we traveled, we almost exclusively ate where breakfast was served all day. 
 
When my mom passed, the traditional Christmas dinner stopped as well. All my siblings and their families gathered together, and we chose to do a Fiesta dinner to start a new tradition. Understand that I absolutely love our traditional Christmas dinner that my mom made as it was the same at the Thanksgiving dinner, which I now make every year, exactly as my mom made it. I do miss it, but now we have our own tradition. We decide as a family what to have and it may change from year to year, but we enjoy the unity of figuring it out and then cooking it together.
 
Grateful for Feeling Inspired
I absolutely love the game of basketball and after Christmas, our high school hosts a boys and girls Holiday tournament which all three of our sons have played in and our daughter has cheered at, so the memories are bountiful. My siblings travel from all over to come watch the games and cheer on the kids. The game of basketball has bonds that run deep in our family. Former players I have coached as well as friends I have made through the sport will come and support our kids.
 
Unlike past Christmas breaks, there isn’t downtime for me this year as I am now self employed. While kids are either off work or on semester break, my day continues like the days before. Learning, growing, creating, and refining services that can impact the lives of others. And I am loving every minute of it!
 
While we tend to be nostalgic and reflect on our blessings during the holiday season, why can we not take the time to be grateful year-round? Because when you feel small, but connected and when you feel love and are inspired, then you will ALWAYS be grateful Beyond Today.

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