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“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” —Aesop

Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope that you all had a good day today whether you chose to share it with loved ones or celebrated the birth of Christ on your own.  

I spent time with my different loved ones as the day progressed and returned home alone to enjoy my own company for the rest of the evening (every extreme introvert’s dream 😁). The highlight of my day was spending time with some of my nephews.  We hadn’t seen them in about three or four years and were only with them for a few hours.  It was so great to hug them hello, hear their voices, and just be in their presence.  They have grown so much, but they are still the same people, and that was great to see.  I am so grateful that we got to spend some time with them.  Those few hours were enough.  

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I am also grateful that we were all able to travel safely.  I am incredibly grateful to my brother-in-law, who went out of his way to ensure that my dad still got to spend the day with us despite his car breaking down pretty far out of town.  He made it possible for my father to spend time with his grandchildren, which is what he was looking forward to most. When they were younger,  my dad would take them for walks and play with them.  Now that they are older, he is content to just be in their presence. I don’t think he has much of a choice, though, as they tend to be glued to their screens. 

All in all, it was a good day.  I feel very blessed to have shared another Christmas with my loved ones.  

How was your day?  How do you celebrate Christmas?  Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

“Parenting teenagers is an exercise in letting go, while holding on with all your heart.” – Michelle Cruz-Rosado

Day 21.  Letting go with faith was definitely today’s theme. Thank you, God, that my son and his friend had an amazing day today, and thank you for keeping them safe as well. 

Two Things I Am Grateful For

  1. I am grateful that my son could add another new experience to his bucket list this year.  He had spoken about wanting to attend a Sharks rugby match over the last few months.  He called it out as a goal for next year.  He must have wanted it quite badly because God decided to move the timeline up.  I am also really happy that he was able to experience it with one of his best friends.  Of course, letting him attend without me took a bit of faith on my part.  A lot of alcohol flows at these events, so my only prayer was that they didn’t encounter any drunk people who were also looking for trouble.  Thankfully, God heard that prayer, too. 
  2. My son has been blessed with many firsts this year.  His firsts included a cruise, a trip overseas watching his favourite soccer team play at their home stadium, and even seeing amazing exhibits at the museum in London.  He saw some of the exhibits in his textbooks and was thrilled to see them in real life. He used to enjoy visiting the Pietermaritzburg Museum as a pre-schooler, so I was thrilled to know that he hadn’t lost his love of museums.  I am grateful to everyone, and especially God, for making all of my son’s new experiences possible this year.  He has really been blessed. 
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One Moment of Joy

Just having my son home again has been a real joy.  I have barely seen him today but it doesn’t matter.  What matters is that he is sleeping in his own bed tonight.  Tomorrow, he is off again, so once again, I have to loosen the reins and have faith that he will be ok and enjoy his time away.  When he was younger, I used to worry that he would enjoy his time away from me so much that he wouldn’t want to come back home.  How much more self-absorbed and insecure could I be!🫣 I know better now.  I know now that while he might not miss me when he goes away because he is enjoying the moment, he will always love me as much as he always has, and he will always be grateful to be home when he returns.  I guess I am also just preparing myself for the day he goes to university.  I only have two more years with him at home.  

Well, that’s it from me today.  Thanks for popping by.

Bye for now.

“No friendship is an accident. ” ― O. Henry

Hello there!  Wouldn’t you agree with that quote?  I don’t believe any of our friendships are accidents.  Every one I have had over the years has positively impacted my life, even if I didn’t think it at the time.   

Two Things I Am Grateful For 

  1. My very good friend Megan.  Since God has blessed me with her friendship,  I have done nothing but outgrow my fears and enjoy new experiences. Thank you, Megan.  This afternoon, she invited me to dinner.  We had a great meal at a Greek restaurant we had not visited before.  We also shared dishes that we had never had before, like mousaka.  It was also a fantastic way to celebrate the official start of our leave! 
  2. My colleague was offering complimentary tickets to a rugby match.  My son has often spoken about wanting to go to a game so I took my colleague up on his offer.  I am really grateful for my colleague’s generosity.  My son gets to tick off another new experience this holiday.
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One Moment of Joy

Part of our meal this evening was roast chicken.  It tasted like my mother’s roast chicken.  I was so surprised.  That first bite transported me back to my mum’s house for a split second.  I could even feel her presence.  It was an amazing experience.  It also reminded me how much I miss her.  I am not sad, though.  I am grateful to have felt her presence, even though it was so brief.   

That’s it from me for today.  Thanks for popping in. 

Bye for now