The Gifts with no Price Tag
My goal this year was to not go down the end-of-the year rabbit hole. You know the one where we count our failures, our not good enough moments, our I didn’t finishes, the heart aches, etc. Instead, I decided to focus on all of the gifts I received. Big things. Little things. Moments that take your breath away when you remember them. Moments so valuable you can never put a price on them, and your memory captures as a gift.
I am listening in the background to a podcast from Lama Surya Das on Dogs as Teachers. I laughingly recall my husband and I sitting together with our fur baby, DJ, between us watching a movie recently. We both had a hand on the puppy and I teased John that his hand was taking up all the space. We both seemed to need the connection with this amazing creature who is one of the gifts I count daily.
I invite memories of the year and I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Two-stepping with my husband any chance I get. Seeing Elton John and then Garth Brooks in concert with my sister and singing their music at the top of our lungs. Crying when I saw my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower.
An invitation to a Bastille Day celebration in Albuquerque where almost everyone spoke French (except for me) and sitting outside of a downtown Bed and Breakfast sharing wine and food. Riding in the back seat of a Mustang convertible then walking on the beach. Moments with friends, old and new.
Sharing laughter and shopping and daydreams with my Florida sister. Laughing so hard we snorted which made us laugh harder. Spontaneous moments when I surprised even myself by flying to California to spend time with my brother and having him share the Newport Beach Holiday Boat Parade with me. Drinking champagne on a patio overlooking the water with him and sharing dreams for the future.
At the last minute, deciding to celebrate my birthday at a writing retreat in northern New Mexico with my friend and author of The Soulful Child. Meeting beautiful souls who are writers, healers and thinkers, a medicine woman, intuitives, artists, yogis, spiritual seekers, and more. Days filled with yoga in a yurt, writing, and sharing my words and my soul with this new “family”.
Yoga in the park during the Balloon Fiesta at 7 in the morning when it was 40 degrees outside and even socks didn’t help. Sitting under cottonwood trees listening to music at the zoo, and sharing a picnic with my husband.
Painting my toes Ferrari Red for the holidays and smiling when I look down at them during yoga. Trying to do yoga at home with a puppy trying to help me and collapsing in laughter. Waking up early and sitting under the Christmas tree with my coffee and just embracing the moment. Allowing myself to open to understanding how to tell the universe what I need.
So many gifts if we stop to think about it in that way.
I hope you will take time to think of the gifts you have received this week, this month, this year. You will be surprised by how many unforgettable moments you have had. Happy holidays from my heart to yours.