Happy Birthday 2009!

Happy Birthday 2009!

With what the media is calling our "Arctic Blast" of 2008, the disarray of the stock market, and the disillusioning nightly news reports being pumped into homes across America day and night, it can be hard to keep focus on what's really important.

I was reminded of this when, on December 25th I found myself snowed in, with no chains on my car, a stack of unsent holiday cards sitting in my living room while I watched the skies dump a few more inches of snow onto my yard and wondered if I would ever be able to return to work. The first day it snowed I happily enjoyed a peaceful snow day, baking and listening to holiday tunes. The 2nd day it snowed I had eaten everything I baked, went sledding and fell asleep full and content. By the third day of snow I was itching to get outside, see a friend or even do some holiday shopping. After a week and a half of snow days and being confined to the house I was downright grumpy and had no idea what to do with myself except to sit around and indulge in self pity. I did make one ill fated attempt to shovel the snow out of my driveway for two hours only to get stuck again a block from my house which only served to worsen my mood.

So it was that I found myself on the morning of December 25th missing my family, thinking of past holidays as the big fat shining example of what this holiday wasn't and finding myself generally disgruntled. I laid in bed for as long as I could and then slowly made my way downstairs where I found my fiancée had put a pot of coffee on, had plugged in the lights to the Christmas tree, opened up the living room window to the picturesque white wonderland that our yard had become and was contentedly lying on the couch, watching television in a happy daze.

I expressed to him my feelings of discontent and he looked at me in disbelief. "What is there to be sad about?" He asked. "We are healthy, we are warm, we have food in the fridge, a roof over our heads and we have each other." Suddenly I realized just how silly I had been acting. While I had been indulging in self pity over being stuck in the house, I had never once thought about those that don't have a house to be stuck in, or the luxury of generated heat at the touch of a button, a refrigerator full of food or the gentle touch or soothing voice of a loved one. Throughout the day I spoke with my Grandma, my dad, my grandpa, my mom and various other family members. We expressed our love and thankfulness for one another. Johnny (my fiancé) and I went sledding in the snow after which I made chicken sour cream enchiladas for lunch and had Johnny take some extras to an elderly neighbor down the street. By that night some of the snow had melted off and we were able to make our way to a Trailblazers game. As I got ready for bed after the days festivities, I took a moment to take inventory of my life.

I have been blessed with a wealth of sincere, generous, loving family and friends and a phone that lets me keep in touch with them whenever I wish. I have a steady income that allows for me to have a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in and a kitchen stocked with food. I have a fiancée that I cherish, a home full of comforts and a healthy, happy heart. I could not ask for anything more.

There are certainly worse things than being stuck in your house or not being able to get to work and it is important to acknowledge these things and use whatever resources or blessings we have been given to help those that are not as fortunate. I have been lucky enough to be associated with an amazing organization called Hands on Greater Portland and through this organization, I have worked on clothes, food and toy drives, helped to paint and landscape non profit schools, handed out food to the homeless, worked at a battered women’s shelter and looked after animals at the SPCA. These acts have renewed my faith in human kindness, have confirmed just how blessed I really am and have enriched my life beyond measure. As the coming year progresses I hope to be able to share even more of my time, my resources and my energy to helping those less fortunate than I.

And on that note, cheers to the New Year! I hope that it brings each of you happiness, health, and gratitude.


Happy Birthday 2009!


Thalia