Thanksgiving time already!  Can you believe it?  In what seemed like a blink of an eye, we went from roasting ourselves outside in the 110 degree heat to roasting turkeys and baking pies.  I don’t know about you, but this time of year is always a mixture of doing my best to enjoy the holidays and feeling incredibly stressed about all that I have to do in order to make sure everyone else enjoys the holidays.  There are lists flying around everywhere and it seems like I am flying around everywhere too.

            As Moms, our world often consists of the World Wide Web, TV and the brief conversations we have during playgroups and drop-off and pick-up at school.  We are running from place to place, doing, doing, doing, and then feeling guilty for what we didn’t get done.  Do you ever feel surrounded by people but isolated and lonely?  This year, I am going to focus more on BEING and less on DOING.  I vow to slow down and seriously contemplate Thanksgiving—not only listing what I am thankful for in my life, but taking a step further and sharing my gratitude with those around me.  Rather than running around, I will do my best to spend time WITH those people, just enjoying their company and remembering why they are such an important part of my life.

            It’s never too late to do just that.  Give your friends a call.  Don’t worry about whether everything is spic-n-span—just invite them over for a cup of coffee and a cookie.  Listen to what they have to say, and, more importantly, share a bit of you with them.  Somewhere within our personal stories we may find an everlasting bond.  It is difficult to reveal your vulnerabilities—as a Mom, we are all worried about portraying ourselves as capable, reliable and in control.  But, haven’t you ever found yourself  on the brink of insanity, and, despite your best efforts, unleashed a tornado of emotions, thoughts, rants and raves at someone you barely considered to be a friend, only to find that they shared your feelings and were relieved to find someone just as out-of-control as them?  If you haven’t, give it a try!  You’d be surprised how cathartic and comforting it is.

            So, amid the chaos of preparing for Thanksgiving while dealing with the stomach flu (yikes!  I hope it doesn’t make it to your home), I am going to practice what I preach and say “THANKS”.  Thank those of you in the club who make it what it is.  Thank you to the Board Members who use their energy to think of creative ways to get people involved, give back to the community, and be there for our members.  Thank you to the committee members for spending their time planning parties, organizing meal support, editing newsletters, creating websites.  Thank you to the playgroups who have led discussions at the general meetings.  Thank you to everyone who has volunteered for meal support.   Thank you to everyone who donates time and resources to support our charitable organizations.  A special Thank You to Heather Currie for baring her heart and soul in last month’s message on infertility.  Thank you all for being Moms and for being a part of our MOMS Club Community.  Happy Thanksgiving!!