Happy Holidays 2016

Dearest Loved Ones,

     Thank you for being bright lights in this world. Thank you for always reaching towards love.  We are so grateful for the people in our lives and I feel remiss that we don’t tell you this every day all the time. But isn’t that the beauty of this season? When things get darker and the days get shorter we look for light and, of course, there is no brighter light than Love. 

     I have been thinking a lot lately about how love is a verb. Love is helping, love is smiling at someone, love is being present, love is putting yourself aside for someone else. But love is also seeing yourself, being kind to yourself, being your own ally. So, as my act of love I write this letter.  I could, of course, go the classic Holiday letter route and tell you about the highs and lows of our year, but you have had yours, too. We all do, it is the state of being human.

     Instead as I am inspired by the paraphrased scripture “Be anxious for NOTHING, but instead in everything (practice gratitude) and peace will surround you” Phillipians 4:6 I want to share a gratitude list. Gratitude, like love, is a verb as well. When we intentionally set our minds on things we’re grateful for it produces chemicals that result in a feeling of well being. You do not wait until you’re grateful to practice, so let me begin.

·         In the category of things to be grateful for if they were gone, I want to remember to be grateful for my heart beat and my opposable thumbs. Come on, y”all …thumbs are awesome.

·         In the category of “grateful it didn’t happen” I am grateful neither Tim nor I had any major health challenges this year

·         In the category of things we can universally be grateful for, I am grateful that smiles are contagious

·         Personally, we are so grateful for our little animal family. Our old Golden Retriever Grace is kicking along at 13, our cantankerous kitty still wakes us in the middle of the night for no reason and our three cute little backyard chickens are hilarious, adorable and make quite the lovely egg.

·         A favorite gratitude practice of mine is to work through the alphabet, but only wanting to fill one page I will leave you with:

·         A: I am grateful for authentic connection of one heart to another

·         B: I am grateful for beauty in every form, art, nature, you …  and

·         C:  I am grateful for Christmas and Chanukah because they remind me that practicing gratitude leads to Love and Light.

 Big Love this season and always

The Wendt Family