12.21.2010

Merry Christmas..

It's that time again..Christmas. The most wonderful time of the year! :D I love this season. Everything about it. The lights, the sounds, the smells, the excitement. All of it.

I was sitting on the couch one night looking at the Christmas tree all lit up and sparkling. For a moment my mind wandered to this past year. All the things that were good and right. All the things I am blessed with and feel fortunate to have in my life. The gifts in my life..

I thought about my friends. Wow. I have awesome friends. Some of my friends live down the street, while others live across the country. Some I've known for years, and others I've met just this year. One, I have never actually met face to face..but I consider her to be one of my closest friends. Let me tell you little about her. First of all..she's awesome. :D We could be twins. No really. We are so alike, it's almost scary. She inspires me to be better. You should check her blog, she's always doing something to help someone, or make her little corner of the world better. (Click here to see the greatness.:D) We do have something in common though..and that's our MS. She has it. I have it. Our families go through it with us. She's one of those gals I call on when I'm having a 'MS day', and I know she gets it. One day we decided to make each other a gift. The only guidelines were: we had to get our favorite quotes and send them to each other. We both ended up getting a box, filling it with our favorite quotes and sending it to each other to read every day. (see..we could be twins!!) I read those quotes so often. So often. But what I love most about her, and my other friends, is simply that..their friendship. That's one of my greates gifts. My friends..

Then, I was thinking about my family. I hit the jackpot here.
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I was thinking about the goofy moments we share. The late night giggles and board games. I was thinking about the many, many nights I rocked my children to sleep, or watched them sleeping and dreaming. I thought about the family vacations to the beach or the photoshoots we 'tried' to make work and ended up having more fun with the outtakes instead. I thought about the dinners that have been burnt because we were too busy talking about our day instead. I thought about all of us singing in the car as we drive over the river and through the woods to grandma and papa's house. I thought about the little notes that have been left on my pillows by my kids saying things like, "I love you. From ?" or, "You're the best mom ever. Can I have a treat now?" or, "Do you want a hug?" I thought about my hubby who gives and gives and still has time to tickle and wrestle with after dinner. These are some of my greatest gifts...

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Sometimes, friendships with family or friends, are like icicles. They take time to form, to cement in our lives. They are fragile, they are tender. They need to be handled with care and given the most gentle love. I have never felt more full of gratitude for the greatest gifts in my life..my friends, my family, then I do this year. I am filled to the brim with happiness for all the love and people I share my life with. My friends from years ago who I still am in contact with today. My family who teach me exactly how to love. These are the greatest gifts. And just like the icicles..they sparkle, they shine, they make the world beautiful just by being them.

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Merry Christmas my friends. May this year bring you the very best in life. :)

Until next time..