“And thank you for a house full of people I love. Amen.”

— Terri Guillemets

Life throws us curve balls. Some we catch and others get dropped. During the last several days we had family emergencies, change of plans, comings and goings, and hosting for Thanksgiving. There were tears, laughter, music and quiet. There were hugs, dancing, pain and joy. It was a yoyo of emotions and moods.

Pauses for resting, eating, walking and just being helped me navigate the tumultuous days. Mostly though I was filled with gratitude that our daughters were home and much of our family was here. Holidays can be difficult because we miss our loved ones that can’t be with us. This year, some had other plans, some have passed away and some were too ill to travel. It was a mixture of sweetness for those that were here with a cloud of sadness for the ones we missed.

My heart is full of gratitude and love for the time-shared both in the distant and recent past. With more holiday time coming, I’m looking forward to having the family together again soon.

What are you looking forward to?

One of the beautiful things we can express as human beings is gratitude. Incorporating it regularly in your day can help you keep perspective and balance. Especially now as Thanksgiving approaches, gratitude thoughts permeate my mind.

There is so much to be thankful for. As we know, life is far from perfect. We are far from perfect. However, in the midst of life’s busyness, pausing to acknowledge the positive enhances our joy and brings us peace. There is much to be grateful for. Take time to reflect and appreciate the wonders that surround you. Luckily, there is an endless supply once you put “gratitude” on your radar. It’s impossible to capture everything. I’d like to share a few from my list.

Linda’s List - I Am Grateful For:

• Loved ones here and gone. I love and appreciate my family and friends. Some are in my daily life, others are at a distance, and many have passed away. No matter where they are, they are always with me. I am grateful for them and don’t hold back from letting them know how I feel.

• Sun and rain. On sunny days, my entire being feels lighter, colors are more vibrant, I feel less bothered by small annoyances, and I can see more clearly. When the rain comes, I love those days when I can stay inside with a good book, hot tea, and a warm, soft blanket.

• Working and non-working parts. When we're young and when we age, our bodies aren't always able to do as we wish. We either lack the skills or have lost them. There's the time in between when are bodies work as we expect. It’s so easy to take our health for granted. I appreciate all that is working right now.

• Sweet and sour. Nourishment is essential to our existence. I am thankful for the basics, but also am passionate about certain tastes, textures and scents. The short list includes coffee ice cream, almost anything chocolate, black licorice jelly beans, concord grapes, all berries, tomato with mozzarella and basil, grilled salmon, and lemons. I am grateful that my senses are working and allow me to fully appreciate these foods.

• Activity and quiet. Our house was always a bevy of activity as we raised our daughters. We encouraged them to invite friends over and loved having a full house. They are now both away at college. We have become empty nesters and it’s much quieter. Soon the house will be lively again for the holiday. I am grateful for both the energy of a full house and the quiet of less.

• Organization and chaos. As a professional organizer, you might think I only like extreme order. In fact, I am grateful for both order and chaos. I appreciate a certain amount of organization with room for a dash of chaos. I’m grateful for the dichotomy and flow between the two.

• Status quo and change. I recognize that change is essential for growth. I go through periods where I’m actively stirring the pot. But there are also times where I am able to just let things simmer and be. Both have value.

• Structured and unstructured days.  More of my days have a plan to them then not. I function well with a schedule. To balance that, I also need days that let me just “float.” I can wake up when my body is ready, without a special agenda, and do whatever I feel like. I can do or not do. I need and am grateful for both types of days.

• Old and new friends. There’s a folk song we used to sing when I was a kid that went, “Make new friends and keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.” There’s nothing quite like our “old” friends where we share a history. They knew us when. We share a lifetime of bonds and experiences. With new friends, we are in the discovery mode. The ties are in the making.  I am thankful for all of my relationships.

What are you feeling grateful about right now? Take a gratitude break. There’s space below in the comment area to share your thoughts.

One never knows where inspiration will come from.  A friend recently told me an inspiring story, which I’ll share with you. It fits with the “Wonderfully Human” theme I’m writing about this month and also corresponds with chapter 11 in my book, The Other Side of Organized. We are not perfect beings, but human beings. Life isn’t just about organizing and getting things done, but also about living and enjoying our lives. It’s about stopping to appreciate those lovely moments that happen each day.

This is the story. My friend was working at her desk one weekend afternoon. She was debating whether to continue working or to go out and play. All of the sudden a card from the shelf above her desk fell on her head. The quote on the front said, “Often we fool ourselves into believing that we will get done what needs to be done, and then we will live our life.” She got up and as she said, “left to live my life!” At that moment her priorities became crystal clear. Work could wait. She knew it was more important to nourish another part of her being.

I’m not saying that we totally abandon our lists and commitments. I’m merely suggesting that we don’t get too caught up in the belief that we can’t enjoy or relax or have fun until we get everything completed. Our lists will never be done because new things will appear, just as quickly as items are crossed off. It’s a matter of balance. Make time every day for rejuvenation, relaxation and fun. It’s not frivolous. It’s essential.

We can be renewed and have fun in many ways. Stepping outside for a few minutes to breath in the fresh air and enjoy the gorgeous fall colors could be enough. Sipping a leisurely cup of coffee while having a face-to-face chat with a favorite friend might do it.  Allowing your “silly side” to appear in public is a sure way to have fun.

What’s does “living your life,” mean to you? 

@2011 Photo by Linda SamuelsLife has mishaps. Stuff happens even to the most organized people that interrupt all those well thought out plans. I don’t plan everything. That's too restrictive. But I do a certain amount of planning and organizing. When things don't work out as anticipated, I enlist four coping strategies: humor, flexibility, positive spin and other people.

So, the "plan" this past weekend was to write, update financials, catch-up on correspondence and cook in prep for the impending snowstorm. Thinking I’d have a few solid days ahead to work, I gladly went out with friends for dinner, a movie and fun on Friday night. With list and plan in hand, on Saturday morning I was ready to get going. First, I headed to the grocery store. As I left the market, the snow was already falling quickly. When I arrived home, I put on music while I unpacked groceries and began cooking. There was a huge pot of vegetable soup warming on the stove and a pot roast simmering in the crockpot. I was happy and content as I sang along to the music, smelled the delicious kitchen aromas and watched the beautiful snow covering the brightly colored fall leaves.

The plan was moving along seamlessly when all of the sudden, the power went out. Everything stopped. The soup was done, but the roast had hours left to cook. Thinking that the power would be restored soon, I figured there was hope for the roast. I was wrong. Days passed. We had no heat, no power, no phone or Internet, and no roast.

The other work I’d planned for the weekend also needed electricity. The longer the power outage lasted, the colder our home got. It was time to bundle up. I wore many layers of clothes (I could barely move), extra blankets at night, and candles and flashlights to illuminate the way. On the positive side, no power gave us more quiet time to talk, sit, read and just be without the pull of electronics, beeps or buzzes calling for our attention. It was a gift- a tech-free vacation.

Friends and family extended lovely offers to use their showers, beds, warmth and electrical outlets. While we appreciated their generosity, we opted to wait things out. We went out to more movies, visited more local eateries and became Starbucks’ fixtures, hanging out with other locals out of power. I even met a USA Today reporter at Starbucks who interviewed me about how we were coping.

The power outage and its inconvenience were a disguised blessing. It made me grateful for all the times that life goes smoothly and closer to the plan. I realized that when life gets off track, friends, family, flexibility, humor and a positive attitude are there to lift my spirits, give me perspective and ease the way.

What is a strategy you use to cope with life’s curve balls? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join in the conversation.