All in Healthy Family
I wish we could be like dogs. When dogs communicate with other dogs, I’m pretty sure they don’t announce that they’re going to be honest with them. They just go for it and start sniffing around. When dogs get caught chewing on something that they’re not supposed to, we know from their eyes that they honestly didn’t mean to disappoint us. And even though dogs are not supposed to tell us who their favorite human is, they can’t help but honestly show us.
I cannot even say the word umbrella ella, ella, eh, eh, eh without singing it like Rihanna. What I love about an umbrella is that its function is both necessary and thoughtful. When we hold an umbrella over our head to shield off the rain or the sun, we are less bothered as Mother Nature does her thing. Thoughtfulness happens when we share an umbrella. Together we are safer and more comfortable than we are without one. My heart sings to see someone hold the umbrella over another’s head so that they can walk to/from the car in the rain without getting wet. So sweet!
I accidentally watched a video that I posted on Saturday, January 2, 2021 and I am so embarrassed!! I said two things that need explanations. First I thanked my stylist for doing such a wonderful job in picking out clothes that give me grace if I gained weight (which I did). Then, I actually said, “I still feel pretty.” UGH!
I am often asked if we’re supposed to write a thank you card when we receive a thank you gift. In other words, do we say thank you for the thank you? It would seem like a continuous cycle of thanking each other if that was the case. But I think the question is valid. Let’s dive into it together.
I waited until the last minute to decide which habit I would work on for the 365 days in 2021. I knew that I was already going to try to ride the Peloton bike once or twice a week and I knew that I was going to try to cook more meals. But I needed something that I could do every day; a habit for 365 days. It had to be something small, almost like a “no brainer” or hard to skip. In doing this habit daily, the year’s effort would add up to be significant. More importantly, the habit should have the potential to continue for years.
I dated someone for 7 years and even though I had fun dating other guys for a couple more years, I thought it was about time to be in a relationship again. The timing was serendipitous because my hub, who twenty-five years ago was known as a “player”, was thinking the same thing too.
Well this national day is going to be tough to write about since I don’t know anything about thank you notes. Kidding!! Are we talking about the national day designated every year for Thank You Notes and is celebrated the day after Christmas? If so, that is right up my alley. Although I was tempted to write a post giving High-Fives to those who already write thank you notes or to guilt people into writing them if they don’t, this post is about neither. Instead, I’m writing about this national day for those who are so overly grateful that the task to write thank you notes is overwhelming. And I’m not talking about overwhelming because it’s another “To Do” item added to an already full list.
We interrupt this holiday season for a GIVEAWAY. Using “pause” in this moment in time seemed over-used so I am interrupting the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. But why now? We’re working hard and we still need to decorate the house, buy gifts, wrap gifts, send out holiday cards, make grocery lists, bake, etc. why would I do a give away now? Because someone may need a free gift - that’s why!
If your current budget for gifts is zero dollars and the holiday season is making you panic, please chant this mantra with me - “Thoughtfulness is still possible.” People ask me, “What do I get someone who already has it all?” It’s tough to “top off” or surprise them with something they can’t already buy themselves. However, the number one thing that a person cannot buy is sweat equity. I mean, sure, they can pay people to do the labor, but they can’t buy the labor of LOVE and THOUGHTFULNESS that goes into a gift that is especially meant for them. So with COVID wiping out the economy for most, pretend the people on your holiday gift list are Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Oprah and Kylie Jenner. They all can afford anything and everything. What would you give to them if you were to going to spend the holidays together?
Our Thanksgiving Day dinner menu this year is: turkey (Martha Stewart’s brine recipe), mash potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole (Trader Joe’s recipe), gravy, corn, cranberry sauce, rolls, pumpkin pie and apple pie (with ice cream). It’s basic, yet fancy enough for us because we only eat these foods in this combination once a year. Each of these menu items have a unique scent and anyone who enjoys eating these foods would welcome their scents like a warm hug.
For years my friend Christy and I would laugh about doing things that were the opposite of being thoughtful. We would chat about people who didn’t care about others - wouldn’t it be so liberating to only think about ourselves? Whenever we shared stories that included someone being selfish we would say, “Let’s put that on the Un-thoughtful List.”
In full disclosure I was trying to decide between writing about National Fast Food Day and World Kindness Day. Believe it or not, after the 2020 election, I have been super weary about the concept of kindness. Half of America is so filled with hate that it would seem almost too ironic to write about kindness. Besides, fast food is such a great topic. The choice was hard.
