A Week of Gratitude, Day 7: The Future

Taking the WHOLE week off to spend time with my amazing family. Am auto-posting a series titled "A Week of Gratitude" while we're off doing cool stuff like baking, digging out the Christmas decorations, jumping in piles of leaves, making final visits to the playground before the weather gets too cold, visiting with the relatives, taking looooong drives all in one vehicle, singing songs loudly, and anything else we can think of. Be back in a few days! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. This year, let's be glad of all we have...

A Week of Gratitude, Day 7: The Future



Capping off this week of looking at all that I have to be thankful for, I realize that much of it has focused on what I have now or have had in the past, and very little has focused on looking forward to the future. That, in itself, is a gift, since none of us knows what our future will be and so many we never think about have no ability to even comprehend what it is to dream or to plan or to look ahead with hope.

The whole idea that I can sit and write on my blog about my husband and kids and business is so fantastical to me. The faith embodied in those things, the attitude that this is the norm and to be expected... I want to remember to be humbled by it, to be overwhelmed and awed by how much I have. I want to remember that looking ahead is a gift all its own.

My Sweet Husband and I are debating whether we'll add more children to our family. If money grew on trees, there would be no debate, and I suspect both of us would be thrilled to have at least a couple more. But money does not, and so we are hesitant. And as we go back and forth over whether it's wise to have more children, I rarely think about what a luxury it is to even consider that, to have a choice, to have that option.

One more thing to be grateful for: all the intangible gifts we have that allow us to dream and plan and hope for the future, all the things we forget to say "Thank You" over, and simply take for granted because they are such a part of the fabric of our existence. I'll come home and head back into the studio on Monday, and I'll think, "What do I want to make today?" At that moment, I want to remember, and be thankful.