A Time of Reflection

I have been blessed beyond belief and am fortunate enough to have just wrapped up my 46th Christmas. Each year that goes rushing by puts one thing in perspective more than everything else. The greatest gift we could ever be given is time. As each year comes to a close, I force myself to answer the same, simple question. How did you spend the time you were given this year? Last year my answer felt like a physical blow to the place that hurts the most. I spent an entire year wrapped up in a situation that brought nothing but pain, anxiety and severe depression. I had lost myself and I vowed to find my way back to the light inside of me. It had grown dim but I knew it was still there buried beneath the baggage I continued to carry. Put it down Kim and leave it behind. Stop carrying the things that cause you pain. That is what I told myself. I realized that there would be times I felt uncomfortable because I would have no control over a situation I didn’t want to be in so I had to learn to be happy in spite of whatever was going on. I have come a long way but I still have so far to go.

As I look back at this Christmas, I have a clear picture that comes to mind that warms my heart beyond belief. I picture my father sitting in his chair and my mother opposite him on the couch. I am beyond grateful for the gifts they have given me and now more than ever I cherish the one thing they have given to all of us even when they didn’t have another single thing to give…their time. Whether they suffer from broken bones, their own ailments and disease, they are always there to give more than they have, do more than they can and make time in a world where time is surely squandered a little more each passing day. I feel blessed to carry this gratitude into the new year and that I have been given the greatest gift of all, two amazing parents who have taught me that time can be wasted or used in a way that can be so precious. This year I vow to cherish each moment I am given and to use that time to focus on my blessings. I am committed to remembering that each year, each one of us is guaranteed a little less time. Sometimes we forget. We only see what we allow ourselves to look for and this year I hope to look for all that is good. Happy New Year and God bless!