is the last day of 2008. It’s a day to look back and reflect on all that has happened throughout the past 365 days. Not labeling or judging…..just reflecting. Acceptance is an amazing thing. It calms us and allows us to step out of ourselves and just be. It is what it is. No blame, no shoulda, coulda, woulda. No being sad for the good times that are over or for the people that are gone, but rather being grateful that we had them. Acceptance. Gratitude. Peace. We have a fresh, new year to look forward to….tomorrow. A year we can do ANYTHING we want with. But let’s think about that tomorrow. For today let’s try to just be who we are, spend time with our family and friends and love our source for giving us all that we have. One day to consciously and very deliberately NOT thinking about how we wish we looked or weighed but instead expressing a constant stream of gratitude for how we are right now. Not an easy thing to do. Picking out our blessings and accepting the now the way it is, is not always second nature to us. It is far easier for me to sit here and tell you all the things wrong with me and what I feel needs to be changed or corrected to make things “”better””. But I am putting my foot down today and that kind of thinking is not allowed!! We must be grateful for what we have now in order to receive more blessings tomorrow. Today is perfect just as it is and so are we. I guess when we say good things about ourself or look for things about ourselves we like it makes us feel like we are over confident (like that will ever happen!) or conceited. But why, I wonder?? We want others to feel good about themselves. Our kids, our sisters, our friends, our Moms, right? So today it is our turn, pick out the highlights of yourself that you are grateful for and actually like and say thank you. I guess I have to go first….I am grateful for the health the strength I have been given in 2008. I may not be thin as rail or look the way I would like to from behind in my jeans but this body has been very good to me (even though I don’t talk very nice to her) when I look back on it. This year she carried me through the Chicago Marathon without collapse for the 3rd time. The thought of what that took, brings tears to my eyes. I think of how my feet were blistered, my legs were trembling and my mind was playing games that made it feel like I was having an out of body experience but that body plugged on. She wouldn’t stop even though my mind wanted her to. She allowed me to work long hours showing houses in a real estate market that was no fun while still giving me the energy to teach my Weight Watcher meetings and get home nearly everyday after school to get to greet my boys. She went on little sleep when I needed her to in 2008 in order to get everything done when some of the days were just too short. This body is a saint when I think about what I put her through and then rather than saying “”thank you”” I criticize her for every tiny flaw I can find in her! Well, not today. Today I am grateful for her just the way she is. Today is a celebration that is not about food. It is about taking time to look around at myself and my family and just express the love I feel now.