Giving Thanks: Counting My Blessings

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. Spending time with family and friends on this day is by far a blessing in and of itself. It is also a time to reflect on the year and give thanks for all the many blessings --big and small--that have come my way.

Finding the silver lining when one loses a job

This year my family and I have experienced its share of ups and downs, sometimes making it difficult to see the blessings behind the hardship. Last April my husband was laid off from a company he had been employed with for 20 years. While not completely unexpected, it was still a shock when the lay-offs were announced and the pink slips were handed out. The stress of not knowing if and when he would find a job was almost a daily event. Each morning my husband would hit the computer sending out countless resumes, calling for interviews, pounding the pavement, not to mention filling out the countless forms necessary for unemployment. Looking for a job became his full-time job.

Three months and over 300 job applications later, we were blessed when he was given the opportunity to work for a consulting firm. While it didn't feel like a blessing at the time he lost his job, during those long three months it allowed us to put our priorities back in order. It allowed us to find ways to cut back and still be strong for one another.

Reconnecting with old friends

One of the biggest blessings that came into my life this year was reconnecting with my high school girlfriends from 30 years ago. One Saturday a month-since May- we have a girls luncheon. We talk, laugh, and yes even share a tear of two. We talk about the challenges of growing older, fighting the middle age spread, raising our children, and the many blessings that have been bestowed on us. Some of my gal pals have even taken up running and will be participating in The White Rock Marathon Relay next month. I am so proud of them. They have all been working so hard to accomplish their own goals. I thank each one of them for making my heart a little bigger.

"Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together" -Woodrow Wilson

It just isn't a job, it is fulfilling a dream

I am so blessed to work for one of the most inspiring men I have ever met. When I met Chris Downie for the first time last May at the San Diego Convention it was truly a dream come true. To meet the man who literally changed my life was a very emotional moment for me, hence earning the nickname, SP_CryBaby. Hearing the members at both conventions share their stories of struggle, only to rise above them in triumph is by far one of the best parts of my job. Funny how meeting the members in person allowed me to put a face to a username, only to discover through our many talks, we share more in common than we do in our differences no matter where we call home. I saw so many people who arrived to the conventions as total strangers only to walk away with a slew of new friendships. If you ever have the opportunity to go to a convention it will literally change your life.

Others see our blessings when we don't

Last year a dear running friend told me that being overweight was a blessing in my life--keep in mind he never knew me when I was overweight. When he told me this I must say I was not a very happy camper. He proceeded to tell me that being overweight allowed me to be where I was today. Being overweight gave me the desire and push I needed to start running. Had I not been overweight, I probably would not have joined SparkPeople to help me find the motivation and inspiration to get the weight off, however in doing so it led me to a wonderful job and the confidence to do things I only once dreamt of doing.

Finding the blessings in life's adversities has allowed me to see the blessings in the simplest of tasks. To think five years ago I would have run over 65 races, including the Chicago Marathon, that I would be working for a company whose members continue to inspire me each and every day, that I would become a certified running coach and begin the course work to become a certified personal trainer is still mind-boggling. Take life for all it is meant to be and try counting everything in your life as a blessing even if you can't quite see it as a blessing at the time.

"When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.- Alexander Graham Bell

I wish you all a BLESSED Thanksgiving and holiday season.

Have you overcome an adversity in life only to discover the true blessings behind it?

Me with my high school girlfriends last summer