Day 5: November 5, 2013

I am thankful for:  Family

Today was incredibly busy.  I left the house at 7:15am and aside from two brief returns to let out the dogs, I did not arrive back home for good until  9:15pm.  It was a good day - a productive day - a fun day, but exhausting.

So taking a picture was not high on the priority list.  And by the time I was home to stay, it was dark outside which limited my pool of possibilities.  Fortunately, however, I had given some thought to this project while driving to school and had an idea for a theme series of pictures in December (we'll see how that pans out!) … but that developed into other theme ideas throughout the year.

There is a popular meme on Facebook right now that asks participants to post each day in November one thing for which they are thankful.  So I thought… why not take a picture-a-day for that which I am thankful - or grateful - or consider dear to my heart.  I am not sure that I will do this each day, but I would like to use this month to meditate on the blessings in my life, and document those for years to come.

Today's picture is significant for two reasons.  I am most definitely grateful for family.  We are a nucleus of five, but are becoming richer over time.  In 2006 we added a son-in-law - in 2011 we added a granddaughter - and this past June we added a daughter-in-law.  We definitely have our own personalities, each following his own passion, and sometimes those difference create friction.  But we are loyal, we are supportive, and we stand up for one another no matter what.

While the people are the most important, I must confess that I am grateful for the family name.  There is great heritage in this name:  100% Italian.  My maiden name was Coleman - which is a fine name, but I always considered myself a "mutt"  I never really knew my heritage or extended genealogy.  The most I knew I about my family was we came from Texas.  But the Totoro's can trace their lineage to the Calabria and Foggia regions of Italy -- and one day we are going to take a pilgrimage to the homeland and embrace our rich roots.

And lastly, this picture represents a period of time that deeply blesses me.  It was a difficult time in our family - and yet through it all we remained strong and supportive.  One weekend my children decided that our out-dated kitchen was in desperate need of a facelift and they volunteered their time and talent to strip the wallpaper, refurbish the cabinets, and transform the old 70s paint into a sunny Tuscany cottage.  I love everything about this room now:  the rich buttery yellow; the soft indirect lighting; and the european accents that create a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Yes, I am blessed beyond measure - and the top item on my grateful list is family.