In the Spirit: A Month of Reflection and Appreciation

November—the beginning of the holiday season and the almost-end of the year—is, for one Long Island mom, a month of appreciation, and a time to reflect on what she has learned from her family and children.

To begin, I am grateful for my children—but not only in the ways that you might imagine (of course I am thankful for their health and happiness). Every single day, my children challenge me to be a better person—to be more patient, to listen more attentively, to be empathic about their challenges, however small they may seem relative to my adult challenges.

My son teaches me that you can play hard, fight hard, and then simply move on, holding no grudges. My older daughter is a reminder not to pre-judge: Even though your bedroom perpetually looks like it was hit by a hurricane, you can somehow still walk out of it looking ultra-fashionable. And, my younger daughter offers the important lesson that no matter how hard you work (and she does work hard), getting enough sleep is just as important…even if your sleep begins at 1am and ends at 1pm. How have your children made you a better person?

Of course, I am not just a mother. I am a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, an aunt, a psychologist, a writer…and a chocoholic. Each of these roles in my life challenges me to consider the parts of myself with which I am satisfied, and to work on changing those that do not reflect my best self. Every one of the central roles in my life also reminds me about the importance of the hard work that is necessary in order for me to become better at each of these important relationships (except for my relationship with chocolate—it seems to require little work other than restraint!).