The Obligatory Thanksgiving Post

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Two things have influenced today's Thanksgiving-themed post. 

One, that Thanksgiving inspires all kinds of people to share what they are thankful for. While occasionally, the daily thankfulness post on Facebook can be nauseating (so glad you are married to your best friend, your one true love, your soulmate...but enough already) ultimately, the idea touches something in me that I find very valuable. At any moment this could all be over. Today is the third anniversary of my Mimi's death, one week after her 86th birthday. Thanksgiving 2010 was the last holiday she spent with us. And I am so freaking grateful we had that together before she breathed her last, holding my hand in a room with all but one of her children and grandchildren. 

There's something about gratefulness that never gets old, and never should. Today I'm grateful for so much:

• My sister-in-law Ashley's birthday, even though we can't spend it together! 
• My brother Shawn who is  spending his holidays defending our country overseas.
• Starting this holiday season with three bonus sisters in addition to Ashley, who married my husband's brother this year! 
• A network of "business" colleagues like the Mind Your Own Business group and of COURSE all my beginning counselors, who are truly more friends than business acquaintances. 
• My husband, my family, my home, my dog...and so much more.

Second, because a friend (whom I am also thankful for) reminded me the other day how therapists have to have some balance in sharing with other people how awesome our job is. If we go on about it ad nauseum, we can run the risk of boring people with how excited we get about people's big & little changes. 

Because of that, she says that we should share that excitement primarily with one another, the people who "get" it. I couldn't agree more. 

So today and this Thanksgiving weekend, I'd love to challenge everyone reading this to COMMENT and share something they're thankful for about being in the counseling field. 

While being careful to disguise details (it's perfectly okay to "lie" about an experience if it's to protect a client's confidentiality), I want to encourage you to state something specific you are thankful for. 

For instance:

• I am thankful for the distance technology that allows me to serve clients who are temporarily out of the country or unable to regularly attend sessions with me.
• I am thankful for my new second location and the psychiatrist who works there, enhancing my knowledge of fusing cognitive-behavioral therapy & medicine. 
• I am thankful that while sometimes I don't love everything about counseling, several years later I am still continually challenged, exhilarated, humbled, and overjoyed by what I do for a living.

Now it's your turn. What are you thankful for? There's no better audience to share it with!