#gratitude

“The Imperfect Christmas”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

For years, when my children were younger, I tried to create the perfect Christmas.

Matching outfits. A formal Christmas portrait every year, one that would hang on our walls and become the family Christmas card. With five children, I had quite a few people to convince to cooperate with my vision.

Then one year, I let them wear whatever they wanted.

My oldest wore a bandana and went barefoot.

And you know what? I love that picture.

When I look at it now, I remember who my children were then. Their personalities, their likes and dislikes, their own little ideas about how they wanted to look. I’m glad I let those things have a place in our Christmas picture.

It took me a few years to appreciate that.

There was the Christmas when everyone had the stomach virus, and the year my little daughter spotted her dollhouse from the stairs, yelled “Christmas!” and promptly fell down the last few steps. There were pictures on Santa’s lap with someone crying when I’d been hoping for smiles and giggles.

I certainly wasn’t wishing for stomach viruses or tumbles, but all these years later, those moments are part of the Christmas stories I still tell. I can picture the excitement, hear the voices, and remember what it felt like to have all five children little and home.

I spent so much time trying to get everything just right. Now, I’m grateful for the pictures that caught things as they were, even the tears and occasional bare feet in our pictures.

My children are grown, and I can’t gather those younger versions of them around the tree again, but I have those photographs and those stories, and every December, they bring a little of that wonderful commotion back to me.

If you’re trying to get everyone dressed, smiling, and looking in the same direction this Christmas, take the picture anyway.

Someday, you will love every imperfect bit of it.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“A Scrapbook Christmas Tree”

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Yesterday, I decorated my Christmas tree and as I took out each ornament, I realized I was unpacking nearly 38 years of memories.

My five children are grown now, with homes of their own and traditions they’re creating, but on my Christmas tree, little pieces of their childhood still find their place every year. There are ornaments from each of their first Christmases—ones I bought, ones their grandmothers and their aunt chose, and others given by family who loved them. Some are nearly 38 years old now. I pick one up, and there’s a story. Then another, and there’s a whole different memory.

I suppose my tree is a scrapbook on branches. Every year, I get to turn the pages.

And at the very top is a construction paper star with my third child’s kindergarten picture on it. It’s about 27 years old now, and it still graces the top of my tree every Christmas. I’ve never found a tree topper I’d rather have.

As I hung everything yesterday, I wondered which ornaments my children will treasure years from now. Which ones will they carefully unwrap and smile at? What little handmade decoration will earn a permanent place on their tree?

That’s one of the lovely things about traditions. We carry some with us, change a few, and make room for new ones as our lives grow.

My children are making Christmas their own now, and I love that. Meanwhile, here in my home, I’m finding just the right branch for another memory.

And that construction paper star? It’s right where it belongs.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“November 1st”

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Yesterday was November 1, and yes, I put my Christmas tree up. There isn’t a single decoration on it yet, but just seeing it there makes me happy. The ornaments will come, along with the memories tucked inside the boxes. For now, I’m enjoying the beginning of something I love, without feeling the need to get it all done in one day.

And putting up a Christmas tree doesn’t mean I’m rushing past the season of gratitude. There’s room for both. I’m thankful for a home I can make cozy, for the people I love, and for the little things that give me something to look forward to. Some days, gratitude comes easily. Other days, we have to look a little harder. Yesterday, I found mine in an undecorated Christmas tree and the thought of all the mornings I’ll spend enjoying it.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Monday Mantra: Soul Connections”

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Isn’t it amazing to think that some of the people who mean so much to us today were once complete strangers? Our paths may never have crossed if not for one decision, one unexpected moment, or one change in direction that brought us together.

I believe God and the Universe place certain people along our journey for a reason. Some come to teach us, some to encourage us, and some simply arrive to remind us that we are not alone. We may not always understand the timing, but the most meaningful connections are often the ones we never saw coming.

As this new week begins, keep your heart open to the people who cross your path. A simple conversation, a shared smile, or an unexpected meeting may become something far more meaningful than you could ever imagine.

Some people enter our lives unexpectedly, but their presence is no accident. Trust the souls God and the Universe place along your journey.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Why Weekends Still Feel Different”

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At 65 years old, I make my own hours. I write, I work, and for the most part, I decide what each day will look like. You might think that without a traditional Monday-through-Friday schedule, all the days would begin to blur together.

But they don’t.

Saturday and Sunday still feel different to me. They seem calmer, quieter, and more peaceful. There’s a softness to the weekends—a feeling that the world has slowed down just enough for us to breathe a little deeper and move a little slower.

Maybe it comes from raising five children. Monday through Friday meant alarm clocks, school lunches, homework, schedules, and getting everyone where they needed to be on time. The weekends meant no school, no lunches to pack, and no rushing out the door. They were our lazy days, our fun days, and our family days.

Later, when I worked full-time, Saturdays and Sundays became the days I cleaned the house, went food shopping, ran errands, and tried to fit in everything I couldn’t do during the week. They weren’t always restful, but they were mine. Even with a long list of things to accomplish, the weekends carried a sense of freedom.

Life looks very different now, yet that feeling has stayed with me. There’s still something special about waking up on a Saturday morning and knowing that the weekend has arrived. The air feels different. The pace feels gentler. Even an ordinary cup of coffee feels a little more enjoyable.

Perhaps our hearts remember the rhythm of the lives we once lived. Mine still remembers weekends as a time to exhale, reconnect, and simply enjoy being home.

And after all these years, Saturday and Sunday are still my favorite days.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Whacked By a 2×4…Literally!”

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A little something happened to me last week that left me quite shaken. While I was driving to visit Rob in Cape Canaveral, a 2×4  flew off another vehicle and crashed into the center of my windshield before continuing across the roof of my car. Once the shock began to wear off, I realized just how differently the story could have ended. If that piece of wood had hit anywhere else on my windshield, I might not be here writing this post today.

Every morning, I wake up and thank God for another day—a chance to do things a little better than I did the day before, but now, gratitude has taken on a whole new meaning yet again. I’ve often said that when we aren’t living the life we’re meant to live, the Universe gives us a little nudge—and if we ignore it long enough, it whacks us with a 2×4. This time, it quite literally did. Maybe this was my reminder to stop putting off the things that matter, to focus more on my writing, and to live each day with greater purpose. Whatever the reason, I’m listening—and I’m deeply grateful to still be here to tell the story.

And I’m grateful for all of you.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Monday Mantra: One Small Step”

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Some of the biggest changes in our lives don’t happen all at once. They begin with one decision, one act of courage, one conversation, or one small step in a new direction.

If there’s something you’ve been putting off, let this be your reminder: you don’t have to have the whole journey figured out. You just have to start somewhere. One small step today could be the beginning of a life you never imagined.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Welcome, August!”

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August has arrived, and with it comes another quiet reminder that life is always offering us a fresh page. We can’t rewrite yesterday, but we can choose how we fill the days ahead—with gratitude instead of worry, kindness instead of judgment, laughter instead of stress, and hope instead of fear.

This month, I hope you find beauty in the ordinary. May your coffee stay warm a little longer, your favorite song find you at just the right moment, your heart feel a little lighter, and your days be filled with love, laughter, music, meaningful moments, unexpected blessings, and people who remind you that goodness still exists in the world.

Here’s to August… to new beginnings, peaceful hearts, and making memories that will one day make us smile.

Wishing you a beautiful month ahead.

~Anne Dennish~

“Rainy Saturday Invitation”

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There’s something about a rainy Saturday that feels different.

Maybe it’s the sound of the rain tapping against the windows. Maybe it’s the darker skies that make us want to light a candle, wrap up in a blanket, and pour another cup of coffee or maybe it’s simply that a rainy weekend quietly gives us permission to slow down.

During the week, most of us are racing from one responsibility to the next. Even when we try to relax, our minds are already thinking about what comes next.

But a rainy Saturday?

That feels like an invitation.

An invitation to read a few more chapters of a good book, to sip your coffee a little slower or to watch the storms roll by without feeling guilty that you’re not outside mowing the lawn or checking off another task on your to-do list.

Sometimes the best thing we can do is absolutely nothing.

Not because we’re lazy, but because we’re human.

So today, if the rain is falling where you are, let it remind you that rest is productive too. Slow down. Breathe deeply. Listen to the rhythm of the rain.

The chores will still be there tomorrow.

But this peaceful Saturday?

It’s happening right now.

Wishing you love and light, 

~Anne Dennish~

Monday Mantra: An Attitude of Gratitude

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How we begin our day matters. Waking up with a positive attitude and feeling grateful for the gift of another day can set the tone for everything that follows. Not every day will be perfect, but every day gives us another chance to live, to love, to grow, and to find something worth being thankful for.

Gratitude has a way of changing what we see. When we begin each day appreciating what we have and end it counting our blessings, life can feel a little lighter and a lot more meaningful.

Begin each day with gratitude and end it counting your blessings.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~