Milton was able to fly in the afternoon of Thanksgiving for our first married Thanksgiving together. We enjoyed eating lunch with just the two of us and later went around down visiting family and friends. On Friday, his mother and brother drove down from IN and his mother brought some amazing food (including chocolate cake!).
Milton saw many of my videos for the first time and felt a little left out so we made a video together!
Tis the Season
For some, this has been a great year with a lot of positive life changes and experiences. For others, it seems to be the extreme opposite. They’ve experienced personal loss and setbacks and are anxiously awaiting a new year and change.
Regardless of which of these categories you fall in, it’s still a time to give thanks. The fact that you’re still living and breathing on this earth is reason enough to give praise. If you’re making plans to eat Thanksgiving dinner with someone/anyone – you are blessed and should be thankful!
Although I love Facebook and keeping updated with my family/friends, there have been a lot of nasty, gross spam images posted on various people’s pages. Some people feel the need of Facebook is to dog out the people that have dogged them out, but it’s sometimes a little too much.
So, I decided for 90 days to participate in a “90 Days of Thanks” initiative and I hope you’ll join me. Starting December 1, 2011 and ending February 29, 2012, we are going to spend each day giving thanks for something in our lives. We often think about the obvious reasons to give thanks (friends, family, job etc..) but when you get past those first 30 days, you really have to think about even the small things around you that you’re thankful for.
Get a piece of paper or a calendar and try to keep track of what you’ve mentioned each day. If you’re on Facebook, starting on December 1 (Day 1), make sure sometime throughout that day you write “Day 1: I am thankful for ________!” If you’re a Facebook hater or avoider, this can be a great time for self reflection in a notebook each night before you head to bed.
The more we’re able to appreciate the things/people that surround us, the less we’ll take each other for granted and the more we’ll seek not only to improve our own lives but those lives of the people around us. The more we spend concentrating on our personal positives instead of being absorbed in everyone else’s business, the more we can realize that until we support others, we’ll never be able to move ahead.
Let’s take 90 days to live life and love life! Make it your gift to yourself this holiday season!
November 2011
Thank Granted
First things first – HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!! Thanksgiving is the perfect time to surround yourself with family and friends and to give thanks for all of the blessings that you have received. It’s always easy to give thanks for the new house that we’ve purchased. It’s a given to praise our new relationship, engagement ring or sacred wedding vows. Oh, and don’t forget the celebrations of a new born child or a full-time job.
However, Thanksgiving is not a happy time for all people. Just ask the person whose parent just passed away. Speak to the person who was told their cancer has come back. What about the person that has been without a job for over a year and just wishes someone/anyone would give him/her a chance?
During Thanksgiving we always seem to focus on celebrating the BIG things in our lives. But when do we take the time to celebrate those small (yet equally important) things that we so often take for granted? This holiday season, try to leave some time to remember and give thanks to the valuable lessons you have learned. Maybe you feel fortunate for the sweet potato casserole recipe you grandmother taught you how to make. Perhaps it’s the fact that your next door neighbor always says hello in the morning as you head to work. Or what about your favorite artist or author coming out with a new CD or book? How about being thankful that you have two hours every Sunday afternoon to do nothing but relax?!
Regardless of your situation, just know that there are blessings all around you. If you can walk, see and speak – you’re more fortunate than someone else. If you have at least one friend that truly cares, you’re doing well. If there is some type of food on your table, your meal is a success. We all have times of trials and times of tribulations. If you’re currently at a low in your life, make sure you still celebrate the successes of those around you. Because, when your story changes and things start working out for the better, you’ll want those same people to be cheering for you. You are important. You are wonderful. You are valued. Thank you for being a part of the OnyxLouisville community. I appreciate you!
M.Y. November 2010
It’s All Relative!
This weekend I went to an early Thanksgiving dinner with some of my family that came in town. It was an interesting event because it wasn’t really my immediate family, but more of my family’s family (on the other side).
To my surprise, I received a Facebook message from James Bentley asking if we were related because he’d be attending the same event. I knew Louisville was small, but was it really that small to now we are all related to each other?
See, my father T. Steve Yeager had a brother named Philip. My uncle Philip married Juanita Gibson. Aunt Juanita had a brother named Joe. Joe married a lady named Tilly (my father was the best man in their wedding). Tilly has a sister named Margaret. Margaret’s son is James Bentley. WOW-O-WOW!!! So why we are technically not blood relatives, we are all part of one big, diverse family!
The event was held at James’ fire station. James pretty much cooked all the food for almost 50 people, and let me tell you – THE BROTHA CAN COOK!!! We had all the fixings you could imagine and the turkey just melted in your mouth. I heard his wife Adrayna is just as much a champion chef!
I always get a little down during the holidays because I miss my family traditions and aren’t yet in a point in my life where I’ve started to create new ones. However this weekend showed me that love and family exist in many ways. The day before this event, my office had our Thanksgiving lunch catered from Huber’s. It’s always great to kick it with the work crew. I’ve learned to appreciate every Thanksgiving opportunity. This holiday season, please remember those with little family or friends around. Invite them to join you – it may be a small gesture from you, but it could mean the world to them!
Happy Thanksgiving!
M.Y. November 2009
“Happy Thanksgiving”
We all have things in life that we wish we could change. If only we had (blank) then life would be so much easier. Sometimes it is easier to complain and it often takes a lot less thought. However, this week is about Thanksgiving and giving thanks. I don’t care how horrible your life may seem, there are many blessings surrounding you. The fact that you made it to enjoy another Thanksgiving is a blessing. What about the simple fact that you have two eyes and ten fingers to be able to read and scan through the newsletter? Not everyone does.
The holidays can be a time of pain. Many of us have lost loved ones over the years and this time of year is just not the same. While I share that pain, I also find joy in the world around me. My past holiday traditions will never exist again. However, I look forward to one day starting new ones. Sometimes you just have to be patient.
It’s interesting to me that the day after we give thanks for all of our blessings is called “Black Friday”. It’s sometimes the day we act our worse. You find people pushing through lines, stealing parking spots, cursing at the cashier and/or maxing out credit cards. Thanksgiving needs to last more than one day. We have to do better. So while you’re out this weekend, remember to give back and appreciate the simple things around you!
M.Y. November 2007
MYT is Me! 