Focusing on Gratitude
December 29, 2025 – DAY 3 of Christmas Dinner
Look at this image. Unbelievable. My kid made Christmas dinner this year and she did an incredible job at it. We opted to get a bigger turkey (compared to the one we bought for Thanksgiving). I just found that there was not a lot of meat on the smaller bird and we felt that we needed a few more days of leftovers for Christmas. Anyway, we bought a bigger turkey this winter and it paid off. The kid did a phenomenal job making Christmas dinner with all of the sides, and the turkey… just kept on giving. I mean, look at this plate!! It was delicious… and it was the third day of leftovers. So tasty!! No regrets on the bigger turkey. It’s moments like this turkey dinner… when I have to say… I’M GRATEFUL.
I am grateful for the work that I get to do… I am grateful for my friends and family… I am grateful for my cat… I am grateful for my home, my car, my phone, and my laptop… I am grateful for the food I eat and the clothes I wear… I am grateful for my LIFE. Although that sounded a bit dramatic, I’ve been listening to a podcasts and watching a few Reels that say that being alive is a miracle. The chances of being conceived, the chances of being born, the chances of being alive and living a full-live… is rare. Admittedly, I never understood life (or myself for that matter) for the first 20 years of my life. The next 20 years of my life was trying to prove myself to others. The next 15 were transformative.
When I say “transformative”… I mean, I quit my career, took on politics, finished my doctorate, moved away alone for work, got divorced, became a single mom, bought a home, took time to heal and LOVE myself… and here I am. I am happy. I am joyful. I am in LOVE with my life. Why wouldn’t I be grateful. I could have died a few times due to health or driving with wildlife or in the snow, but here I am. This life is not about survival or living up to someone else’s expectations. It’s about taking ownership, LOVING your strengths and stretches, and being the CEO of your life. Yes, that’s another podcast takeaway… I AM THE CEO OF MY LIFE. I understand this now… and life is incredible!!
It’s been over one year in my new place (that I bought and maintain on my own), over one year with my cat (Simon), and over one year since getting my gall bladder removed. I have resigned for 3 more years at the university this summer and I am leading a research project and co-leading a chapter (of which I need to proceed with submitting ethics). I will admit that life is not perfect, and it’s not supposed to be. Where would the learning be otherwise? I love to do what I get to do, but I also love that I am able to honour myself, my boundaries, and my way of being. This life is 180 degrees from where it was before and a lot of tough learning or life lessons that had to happen to get here.
The truth is, I don’t have to beat myself up anymore… just accept and don’t be scared. I was always scared about not living up to other people’s expectations, but that’s not how it really is. It’s about living up to my expectations. Of course, I will do my best to meet the criteria of what’s expected of me as a mom, faculty member, and human… but my happiness and wellbeing are equally important as well. I feel very grateful to LOVE as my #OneWord2025… and be HAPPY as my #OneWord2024… but now it’s time to PRACTICE as my #OneWord2026. Practice being BRAVE. Practice being HEALTHY. Practice being WHOLE. The next years ahead is my last chapter and I want to make the most of it.