Gratitude at Christmas

It is Christmas Day. My son is in California and my daughter and her boyfriend are en route to Illinois to celebrate Christmas with his family.

Do you have a lot of Christmas traditions? Do you open gifts Christmas morning? Do you have the entire family (even the ones you don’t speak to any other time of year) over for Christmas dinner?

When I was young, we had traditions in our house. Christmas eve we opened one gift. Christmas morning I remember having to wait to open gifts until we had breakfast. Used to kill me. We would open our stockings at the breakfast table though.

When I became a parent, I tried to have traditions too. Many were the same ones from when I was a child.

Now I am single and my family is spread across the country. Add to that the economy and it is a lean year anyway. I woke up this morning a little down, envious of all those people waking up with a house full of family and friends and traditions to celebrate.

I think though that maybe this is just how it is supposed to be, an opportunity for me to learn more about being okay being alone. I don’t always like it but I have to believe it will get better.

I was reading a blog of a woman I admire. Her name is Lisa Romeo; she has a blog called Lisa Romeo Writes. It has a lot of tips and information but she is also interesting and amusing. She wrote a blog thanking people who have helped her in her writer’s life. It seemed like a good idea.

So with it being Christmas and near the end of the year, and a chance to reflect on things for which I am grateful I also would like to offer some thanks.

Thank you to Sally Schloss (www.thewritingpoint.com) my mentor and the leader of the writer’s workshops I attend. Thank you also to the other members of the writing group, Paula, Loree, Annie, Kara, Kathi, and particularly Cyndi who has listened more times than anyone should be subjected to and offered support, encouragement, and some great suggestions and advice.

Thank you to Mendi, my friend who has listened to me whine, read my worst writing and still supported me, and mainly just been an awesome friend. I hope to be as good a friend to her as she works on her own book(s)!

Thank you to Fred. He was the blogger who I hoped to emulate, a wonderful writer, a great cop, leader, husband and father. As a fellow writer and a fellow cop he read my work, gave me invaluable suggestions, help, and support as well.

Thank you to Jim, as much as he drives me crazy, he was one of the first who made me believe that I might have a book in me and I wrote well enough that people might want to read it.

Thank you to my children, they have supported me even when I haven’t done such an awesome job and now are not only my kids but also my friends.

I’m sure there are lots others I should thank, so I do, thank you.

I am leaving in a couple days for a vacation to Belize. I might be able to get a post in while I’m there but probably not. With any luck, I will be too busy soaking up sun and scuba diving. So, there may not be another post until I return, the first week in January.

It is Christmas morning. Whether you celebrate, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any other holiday, I hope all of you are with those you love, and are having and will continue to have wonderful and safe holidays. May the coming year bring us all peace, prosperity, joy and good health.

See you all in 2010!