25 days of praise & contentment

I’m getting married in exactly one month from today! I don’t even think I have actually grasped this as a reality yet. Despite the madness of planning the wedding and prepping for marriage…it all seems a bit surreal.

The past eight months have been a whirlwind…to say the least. My friend who is getting married in a couple of weeks recently commented about the wedding-merging-of-families-thing, “it’s certainly no Cinderella story, huh!!?” She wasn’t complaining, but she was just making note that planning a wedding had not been what either of us expected it to be.

I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not for me. As organized and plan-minded I am…it just hasn’t been my most favorite thing. This sentiment however, leads me to the whole point of this post.

I feel lost, hazy, and like I’m living in a fog. Pulled in so many directions, unable to give my attention to any one particular thing, I feel like I let everyone down. Then I end up complaining. I hate complaining. (Despite the fact that right this moment I am complaining about complaining…it really does get on my nerves.)

So…in light of the fact that I get the honor of marrying my very best friend in just 30 days, I want to celebrate the moment. Before the wedding, before the party…I want to relish every moment up to that point. To be grateful for now…because it’s, truly, all I have.

I’m reading Calm My Anxious Heart with a friend right now…and let me just tell you: it’s rocking my face off. [That’s just a side note that is completely relevant to this post in so many ways that I probably won’t be explaining right now.] In light of that emotional journey and the other heart journey of getting married…and since last October I had so much fun doing “31 days to a better twenty-something-year-old” I would like to offer up some praise for the next 25 days. I say 25 and not 30 because…I need some grace. Thinking I’ll hit everyday up to my wedding….is…well…quite outrageous. 

Since I believe praise founds contentment…we’ll start there. So I give you…

Today I am so thankful for my grandmas. That lovely lady above, that’s my Nana, my real grandmother. She is hands down the best grandmother a girl could hope for. Just speaking with her today lifted my spirit, even as I scurried down the road at 9am, late for class, per the reg. these days.

The group of women above and below are what I refer to as my grandmas. Some I have known or they have known me for many, many years. Some I have only known a few. All that you need to know is that if you’re looking for a grandma, these are the woman you need to come find. If you’re really nice I might share.

They give, love, hug, and snuggle in all the best, heaping amounts. I adore them and wish I could go eat cookies and coffee with them every single weekend. They are the lights of wisdom, experience, laughter, and just simple happiness and joy into my life..whenever.

And I could not be more grateful for their presence in my life…whether near or far.

And…I’m also thankful for mint chocolate chip [anything].

Because it’s delicious. Obviously.

xxxoo’s

Back for more praise tomorrow…E