Thankful Amalgam

The last several weeks I feel like I’ve had very structured blog entries about very specific things. Today, however, I just feel like rambling a little.

First of all, if you’re reading this, thank you. Truly, thank you. I’ve received an uptick in positive feedback recently and I’m just so honored to hear that people enjoy my style. You see, I’m not a writer. I’ve never been a writer in the purest sense, although in the past I did attempt to write a novel (and gave up because apparently I don’t like being told that my writing is too adult and that I should write YA fiction because it “sells better”). The words that make it to this page and just me, the person behind the blog, sharing my unique and sometimes opinionated viewpoint on healthy living. What you read about is what interests me and how I live my life. For me it’s a form of catharsis, the need to talk about these things in a space where someone might garner some sort of benefit from it. So thanks. You readers are making all this effort worth it.

This weekend wasn’t my best emotionally. I’m struggling with some personal issues that have been distracting me a little.  I am so incredibly fortunate to have some good friends who have been there for me through these trying times and who have made an effort to show me that I’m far from alone in this world, and I’m always amazed and honored when someone shows me that they see past my shoddily constructed facade to who I am underneath. In fact, because of this, I put forth this challenge to you, my readers: the next time you talk to someone you care about, pay attention to them. REALLY pay attention. Don’t just just listen to the words they speak on the surface, but observe their body language, hear their inflections, and try to decipher the full meaning of what they say. You don’t need to acknowledge this task or mention it to them. Just observe. You might discover there’s more to your friend than you first thought, and that might be a good thing. You might find some common ground you never knew you had.

Lastly, as I’m sure we are all intensely aware, the holidays are coming. There isn’t much we can do about it: the holidays come and go like the tides. Some people love it, and some don’t, and that’s fine. A friend of mine was surprised to learn that I hate parades. (Seriously, standing out in the cold while watching floats surrounded  by too many people and too much noise sounds like total torture to me.) But to some, the holidays are a rough time. Maybe they have bad memories this time of year. Maybe they have conflict with their family. Maybe they struggle to afford gifts for their loved ones and it makes them extra stressed. Sometimes our first instinct is to try to cheer them up. How about we just give those people a big hug and let them know it’s okay to be a little sad? Because it is.

Now, after all this super deep stuff I’ve been shoveling onto you, I’m announcing that I will be using the month of December to post a series called The Twelve Blogs of Christmas which will feature a series of ways you can make a difference this Christmas season. I will still be posting weekly menus and the occasional recipe but this blog series will be dominating the month. Don’t worry, all posts will have a decidedly frugal slant. Hope you don’t mind!

Anyway, thank you as always, my dear readers, for indulging me on this journey. I couldn’t do it without you. 🙂