As some of you may know my sister Alison has a blog (www.willisweb.blogspot.com) which I love to follow. Her blog actually inspired me to start this one. So it's not surprising that I am copying her once again, like a true little sister, and creating this post to highlight what I am thankful for.
But before I begin, let me preface this post with something. The people closest to me know that the last few months have not been my best. I've dealt with some mild depression, weight gain, dissatisfaction at work, and worst of all, envy. I'm guilty of being envious of just about every person around me, what they're doing professionally, personally, where they stand financially, what vacations they go on, what clothes they wear, where the live, what car they drive, what stage of family life they are in, the list goes on and on. So working on this post has actually been extremely useful to me because it has forced me to bring my life and all its blessings into stark perspective.
Let's begin, in no particular order, except for 1 because 1 is what I am truly most thankful for. (Plus there's more to come, this is just the first installment)
1. FAMILY
If you know me at all, then you know that family has always come first to me. And now that I am married I get to have even more family that I love! I can 100% count on my family members to be there for me and they have surely proved it over the last few months. I am so grateful for the literal hours on the phone while I talked about my issues, my pain, my frustration. And I have cherished the weekends I have spent with them on visits home to the Bay Area and trips down to L.A.
2. ICED COFFEE
I LOVE Iced Coffee from Starbucks. I do, I truly do. Not only do I love the taste and how it makes me feel, I love the ritual of walking to Starbucks, ordering with all my favorite baristas, adding just the right amount of half and half (in my case it's probably too much!). My Iced Coffee breaks are 15 minutes of my workday when I get to escape, call my husband (who works from home), or my mom (who makes her own work hours), or my sister (who's on maternity leave). And on weekends I love this ritual with Andre. I love the conversations we have walking to and from, I love deciding whether we're going to walk to the close Starbuck's and maybe wander into Petsmart to see if they have fish or kittens, or if we're going to walk to the far Starbuck's and battle the crowds but enjoy the outdoors for longer. I know I'm addicted but I'm pretty sure it's better than my addiction to Diet Coke (which I kicked 3 years ago this month!!!). And the contentment I receive from this silly ritual is worth it!
3. ANDRE
Andre is my best friend and luckily he is also my husband. I find myself looking over at him sometimes when we sit on the couch watching the Warriors play or watching a rerun of Modern Family and I am overcome with gratitude for his partnership. We are truly partners. I am so grateful for all that he does for our family of two. Even the small things like getting the mail and watering the plants...two of the chores that I can't seem to ever remember. I am grateful for his trust. He trusts me to cut his hair (even if I don't), he trusts me with all his worries, all his dreams, and I know I can share everything with him too. And he sure is handsome!
4. WEIGHT WATCHERS
I love Weight Watchers because it works. I just started back last week and I have lost weight and am feeling optimistic. I have always had success using Weight Watchers and have not been afraid to share it. I mean, it's not secret, I've gained weight and I NEED to lose it! And Weight Watchers is going to be my tool for success. My leader is awesome, my group is diverse in age, weight, and gender and there's a Marshall's next door to the meeting so once I lose 10 pounds I am treating myself to something new...yet fantastically affordable!!!
5. MY MOM
Not everyone can say that their mom is one of their best friends. She and I enjoy so much of the same things. We're really in sync. What I mean by that is that we can spend the whole day together doing what to some may seem mundane...walk in the morning with coffee at Starbucks, errands at Target and Marshall's, perhaps some white wine and Say Yes to the Dress, and to us, it's fun because we're together! I am so grateful to her for her willingness to help and support me and the best part is, I think she truly loves doing it. She is so selfless and she has always put my sister and I first. I only hope I can be as good of a mom as her someday.
6. THE CIVIC
The Civic has been with my family since 1995. It started out as a Sweet 16 Birthday Surprise for my sister, then it became my car when she went to college and didn't need a car, then it became my car again when she took the Explorer (my other car) and moved across country, and then I lent it to Andre when his car was stolen and taken for a joyride (this wasn't such a sacrifice since I got to drive my dad's unused Jag...I know, life was rough) and I eventually sold it to Andre when I bought the Prius and he then sold it to his parent's when we moved to the city and only wanted one car. The Civic is back in our hands now through the generosity of Jan and Rick and the fact that they could do with one less car at their house! ;) With well over 200,000 miles on it, it still runs well and only has minor issues once in awhile. Plus when you have a father-in-law who is as handy with cars as mine is, there's never a need to take it in for maintenance! I can't wait to see how many more miles we can get on this treasure of a car. We still get notes about once a month asking if we would be willing to sell it. See, I'm not the only one who loves it!
7. MY NIECES
To some, I may have a strange attachment to my nieces, Quinn Olivia and Grey Charlotte Willis! But to me, it's completely natural. How could I not love them as much as I do. They bring so much happiness, love, positivity, energy, playfulness, calm, and pure joy into my life. I am an especially proud auntie. I am pretty sure these two little girls are more extraordinary than most! Quinn is wicked smart yet unbelievably well mannered. It is a rare occasion that I have seen her cry or fuss. Grey is young yet but in the 2.5 months since she joined our family she has proved herself to be even tempered, easily pleased, a good sleeper and an adorable specimen of Greene genes!!! When I think about how much I love these girls it is hard to believe that they aren't my own. How wonderfully overwhelming will the love I will feel be when I have little ones of my own.
8. MY HIKES
Even though the time change has made it impossible for me to enjoy my evening hikes after work this past week or so, I am still thankful for them while they lasted. I go to a place called Wilacre Park off of Laurel Canyon after work and hike the dirt path that leads to a beautiful view of the San Fernando Valley (our current home, yes, I am a real valley girl these days). I love working out outdoors, feeling the breeze on my face, smelling the smells of nature, and meeting all the adorable dogs along the trail. And I have found that I love to do any kind of workout that involves an incline. You see, I hate running, there, I said it. I don't get Runner's High but I definitely get Hiker's High. I love briskly walking up a steep hill or running up stairs. Now that I've found something I love I would love to stick to it. At least I can hike on weekends and if I can drag myself out of bed in the mornings, perhaps a weekday here and there as well. Did you know Sunday is National "Take a Hike" Day? Guess where I will be?!
9. THURSDAY EVENING CHATS WITH STEPH
Since we have moved to L.A. and I have gotten into my groove at work one of my favorite parts of the week is Thursday evening around 5:30 when I can expect a call from my best friend Stephanie. We have made this almost a weekly ritual that I am so very grateful for. In a way, I think we have grown closer over the past months because the distance has facilitated the desire for keeping in touch. Stephanie has been the dearest friend from the moment I met her over 11 years ago. She is one of the most thoughtful women I know and I have strived to emulate this trait in my own life.
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