November

 

It’s now November and November means several things to me. 

November brings back memories of my mother calling me to let me know my father had died during the night.  November is the month of my husband’s birthday.  November is the month that we had to put down our beloved black lab because he was suffering so badly from congestive heart failure.  (My dad died on MrSas’s birthday and we put our dog down the day before his birthday…different years…but MrSas dreads his b’day every year now.)  November is also the month that we celebrate Thanksgiving and we acknowledge the blessings we have.

I see as I get older how sentimental I’ve become.  Before I lost both parents I really didn’t think about family or enjoying the company of close friends, savoring flavors you may not get to taste again, filling computers and books of wonderful pictures – you know, none of that boring nostalgic stuff.  I just took all of that for granted…like things would always stay the same.

Now, it’s as if I hang on to every word my husband says, I long for a relationship with my sister and her family, I look through old pictures often and have even started looking into my genealogy some.  

MrSas has noticed the change in me and has used his observation of me to change some of his own ways.  He has started driving the three hours it takes to see his parents more often.   He has taken more of an interest in things that make me happy.  He and I have been having more “get togethers” at our house with friends.

November could easily be a sad month for me but I choose to stay in keeping with the November holiday’s name and this year I will give thanks. 

This is where my post takes a different turn and heads in a different direction.  I mean, I am thankful for the usual…my husband, my in-laws, my friends, my house, my job, my car, etc…but this post is going to consist of a list of things about my body that I’m thankful for.  I started thinking about this the other day and thought it might be a good thing to put out there for you and maybe you can add to the list as well.

I’m grateful for:

• my legs which keep me mobile and get me from place to place, helped me climb a waterfall in Jamaica and let me dance
• my arms that allow me to hug my husband, blow dry my hair, put on my make up and get dressed in the morning
• my eyes that are hazel and sparkly and see (with the aid of glasses ;))
• my hands that stay nimble and allow me to type and punch a ten-key, that can interlock with my hubby’s hand, that can also draw a pretty good picture
• my mind which has a pretty awesome sense of humor, can grasp the seriousness of most situations and has the ability to learn
• my heart and soul which allow me to feel and show compassion
• my big fluffy body that gives my dog someone to snuggle with every morning
• my voice that allows me to sing, tell jokes and argue my point
• my spine which supports my body everyday
• my heart that is apparently strong and pumps blood to all the parts of my body
• my eyes that allow me to cry or that wrinkle up when I laugh
• my mouth that eats, smiles, talks and laughs

I think sometimes, for those of us who are fat, we spend so much time degrading and bashing our bodies, that we need to sometimes step back, evaluate where we are and to be grateful for what our bodies have done for us.

I’d love to hear more because I know I have not exhausted my list.  Anyone have any stories of gratefulness towards their bodies?  Please join me in the celebration of our bodies during this Thanksgiving season!!

~sas