High Hopes

A few years ago, I had what is now referred to as "The Perfect Thanksgiving Weekend." It was chock full of family and fun and completed projects and impromptu happiness.

Here is the problem.

Whenever you have one of these types of experiences, comparisons will be made.

The year after "The Perfect Thanksgiving Weekend" I was moody and grumpy and had no fun at all (of course, I soon after found out I was pregnant, so I chalk that one up to hormones). Last year was good, but we were trying it out with Baby Boy and all his spit up and, well...you get the picture. So this year I was really, really trying to just let it go. See what happens. Enjoy the weekend for what it is and quit writing little compare and contrast paragraphs in my head.

I did pretty well.

We managed to fit in all the old (dinner with the family, tree lighting downtown, a trip to the Peanut Shop, our niece's birthday), and some new (paintball for Dr. Dad, Black Saturday shopping for me).

What I am learning is that every year is unique. It's fun to reminisce but not so fun to have expectations that may not be met.

I am also learning that remembering to be thankful is not always easy, but it is important for my personal well-being. It does me no good to blog about being "lucky" if I don't ever stop to remember why I'm lucky in the first place.

And I am.