Feeling Blessed

[The following was written last Sunday morning]

After playing I Spy in the living room for 10 minutes looking beneath window curtains and lacrosse sticks, I found my book bag that has my computer in it. I sit here on my couch wedged between a box that has our Nativity scene and an assorted random box that includes a plunger and wrapping paper.  And my thought?  I feel blessed.

Yesterday, Mimi and I moved with the help of many good friends.  This wouldn’t have been possible for not Mike taking apart our kitchen table because it didn’t fit through the door or Beth packing up the cabinets or Doug doing some heavy lifting or my students Sean, Matt, and Derek being the work force coming from UMD or Josh M. helping me finish the job or Josh B. helping move furniture around.  I feel blessed.

I feel blessed coming back from Thanksgiving hosted by an awesome mother-in-law who not only ran dinner but a couple baby showers for Mimi.  I feel blessed for an awesome sister who ran a baby shower supported by my great brother.  I feel blessed to have such supportive parents, and to have fallen lucky to find good relationships with Mimi’s parents.  I feel blessed with the inundation of gifts and support of baby Teresa coming in January from amazing family and friends.  

I look around at this new apartment and there are little things about the place that make us feel rich.  “There’s so much space!” “Look---all of our kitchen stuff fit in the cabinets!” “Hardwood floors for baby crawling!” “Covered radiators for less baby touching!” “A bath tub for baby bathing!”  We do feel rich.

But more evidently, I feel rich because of the priceless family and friends we have surrounded ourselves with.  Yesterday, my buddy and I briefly talked about Roth IRAs, but it has become more and more clear that what’s more important than how we invest money is how we invest in the people in our lives.  Do we take the time to sit down and be present to people giving them undivided attention?  Do we tell our loved ones how much they mean to us?  Are we charitable with our gifts and actions and does it come from a place of genuine care?  

I definitely need to work on these things, but I will say these are some of my favorite actions to do.  What if we saw every one, every conversation as an opportunity to find out something new or to share a common interest or love with someone?  I don’t think I give as much as we’ve been receiving these past several weeks, but I do believe if we invest in people, the gift does come back.  This Christmas, let our presence be greater than our presents.  And its this why I feel most blessed of all.

Amén.