I spent this past Mother's Day sad after another negative pregnancy test and another month of disappointment. Three days after, I found out I was pregnant. We tried for a year for this second baby, and I got my very small taste of the agony so many women go through each month as they try to get pregnant. So oftentimes, I fall guilty of having this blueprint in my head of how my life should go, and when things don't go exactly as planned, it's difficult for me to give up control and rely on God. I've been learning, though, that God's plan is better than mine - that He's working on me through the every day challenges and that if I continue to put my trust in Him, things always fall into place.
7. The change of seasons
Aside from those last few weeks of wintertime, I am thankful I am a girl with a heart for the midwest. I love the changing of seasons, the anticipation of that first snowfall, the first weekend of spring when every one seems to be outside, and those crisp fall days that call for boots, thick socks, and knit scarves. We are resilient in the wintertime, thankful in the fall, and we fully immerse ourselves in those perfect summer nights because we know each season is temporary. I've always said growing up in Iowa, you never take a nice day for granted, because we know it could change on a pin drop. It all makes for a pretty good metaphor for life.
8. For the love of food
I'll admit I have a deep relationship with my food. It started developing about the time my relationship with my husband did, when we learned to cook together in his college apartment almost a decade ago. It was there I learned the power of scent as garlic, basil, and tomato sauteed in a fry pan and there I began to understand that some flavors truly do dance in your mouth. I am thankful for my food journey, for new flavors and favorite dishes, and for the hours of conversation I've had around my kitchen table. I'm thankful for cilantro, olive oil, Indian food, and a husband who likes to try new things as much as I do.
9. Our sweet town
I'm thankful for Cedar Falls, Iowa, for it's storybook Main Street, it's community focus, and for Scratch Cupcakery. I'm thankful that every Thanksgiving weekend we can all gather to march with Santa in the street and that every Friday in the summer we can gather on the lawn for popcorn and an outdoor movie. I'm thankful for its brick sidewalks, its bike trails, and its Farmers' Market Saturdays. I'm thankful to be raising my family here and thankful to call it home.
10. Moments of kairos
Glennon Melton defines kairos moments as those beautiful little moments that stop you in your tracks and force you to shake your head in awe at the life you are living. They happen amidst chronos time, and are usually small, unexpected, but beautiful. Moments when you find yourself staring at your baby as they sleep, studying the shape of their nose, or feeling the softness of their cheek. Moments when you really hear their laughter, or really smell the top of their head after a bath, or really notice how adorable it is when they drink the milk out of their cereal bowl. These are the moments that make all the frustrating moments worthwhile - the moments that buy us a lifetime of days.
To see yesterday's images of gratitude post, visit here.
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