Thankful thoughts for holiday stresses.

Today Nic and I were shopping (what's new??) and I had been thinking about the holidays and how to divvy up the days, you know which house to go to first on which holiday...the normal stresses that we face. I passed two woman, one was a "special" needs woman about my age and one was probably close to 60. I heard the younger woman telling the older one how happy she was because this year she had been invited to spend all the holidays with a family. She was thrilled that she wouldn't be alone again.....Alone.....again......on a holiday. It keeps echoing in my head. And I keep seeing the look on her companion's face, the sad look that had a bit of jealousy in it too. I felt small and mean-spirited for all the times I complained about having to "run" to some family members house. How I was upset that I felt rushed on a holiday. Instead I am so thankful that I have family members who love me enough to want to see me. Thankful that my family has remained close and have a good time with each other. Happy that Nic will know the joy of a family Christmas...a bustling busy kitchen at Thanksgiving, the exhaustion of a long Christmas Eve and Day spent with 2 or 3 sides of the family. I am blessed.