A Thanksgiving Reminder: The People Who Make Life Beautiful
Over the years, I've been reminded that God often shows us who He is through the people around us. Thanksgiving is a chance to slow down, reflect, and recognize the people God has brought into our lives.
This year, I'm especially grateful for:
CARSEN: Being your mom is THE BEST. You make me laugh and cry, think deeply, go to God, and hope for more. I love watching you grow into a young man who cares deeply. You are a good friend, wise, hilarious, and a hard worker. I love to talk with you about books, and hear your heart about life. I will forever tell you how amazing and awesome you are, even when I get the eye rolls and “STOOOPPPPP, Mom!” because you truly are the best gift to me and this world. Thank you for giving me joy, perspective, and constant reminders of what matters most. I love you.
MY PARENTS: I am so glad to be your daughter. You are both servants and givers. The unsung heroes working behind the scenes. I see you and all that you do for Carsen and me. “THANK YOU” feels wildly inadequate for the amount of carting my kid around town, dinners cooked, laundry done, and basically being my personal secretaries, making sure I know where I need to be and when. You make our lives better in a million ways, many of which I probably don't even notice until I stop and think about them. Thank you for loving us so well. I love you.
STEPH & STEWART: My (basically) brother and sister. Carsen's (basically) aunt and uncle. Thank you for always asking us up for holidays AND non-holidays. You make us feel so seen and wanted. Thank you for loving my boy like your own nephew and pouring into him whenever you're around him. Stewart, thank you for the deep theological talks and book discussions. I always love hearing your thoughts and learning from the way you see things. Steph, thank you for always being a sounding board, sending me funny reels to watch at night, and being a dear friend I can turn to with questions. You are so knowledgeable, smart, and insightful. I feel lucky to be your friend and (basically) sister. I love your family.
STEPH: My generational twin. Thank you for getting me. Like, TRULY getting me. For allowing me to be me, sharing your deep thoughts, letting me ask a million questions, and being adventurous, fun, sincere, and unapologetically YOU. The time spent with you is never enough. I love the way we can go deep, be ridiculous, and somehow do both in the same conversation. I love you.
THE BROCHACHO MOMS & DADS: Lanphiers, Steinbachs, Coreys, and Oesteichs… Thank you for the amazing boys you're raising into amazing men. Their friendship with Carsen is truly special. Thank you for loving him, seeing him, carting him around to practices and events, welcoming him into your homes to hang out with your families, sharing dinners out, and all the little things in between. It takes a village, and my son has a pretty great one. I don't take for granted that he has people outside our little family who genuinely care about him, want him around, and make room for him in their lives. I love each of your families!
CARLA: Carrrrrllllaaaa! My friend who CALLS instead of texts. Who sends reels as a legitimate form of communication. You are my ride-or-die. The peanut butter to my jelly, the cheese to my crackers, the extra guac I pay $3.50 for. Thank you for loving Carsen like a nephew. You are one of the only friends he asks about when something happens and says, “Have you told Carla?” You are loved by everyone in my family, including my parents, and I love that you're woven into our lives. I'm so glad we're still in each other's lives all these years later, celebrating and crying our way through life, year in and year out. Thank you for being a true, good, beautiful friend. I love you.
EVERY MAN WHO SAID YES TO A RITE OF PASSAGE WITH CARSEN: Stewart, Paul, Ken & Jaden, Kevin, Spencer & Taylor, Jake, Karl, dad… and every other man who will pour into Carsen over the next six months. THANK YOU. Thank you for making space and time to love Carsen, see him, and invest in the young man he's becoming. Thank you for saying yes to seeing him become a man of Godly character. Men who are kind, strong, emotionally intelligent, respectful, teachable, and rooted in Jesus. I know your time is valuable, and I don't take lightly the fact that you're willing to share it with my son. You are strong, faithful men, and I am grateful Carsen gets to learn from you. And thank you to your wives who said yes, too! It takes a village, and I am so thankful ours includes you. Carsen and I love you!
BLUSH BUDDIES: My workout girls. My Blush babes. Getting up at 6 a.m. is always better when I get to see your faces and get my butt kicked. Let’s be real: I probably wouldn’t go without you. Emily, thank you for being our glue. Without you, Julie and I would probably just get coffee and talk. Julie, thank you for making it fun just by being there. You both are my fellow endorphin chasers and the other half of this questionable decision to voluntarily get up before the sun to be sore for the rest of the day. And our glutes have never looked so good! I love you both!
GRANDPA JOHN & MR. MICHAEL: Thank you for loving Carsen and me and for all the ways you shower us with love and care. Thank you for truly loving my kid like he's your own grandson in so many different ways. Thank you for seeing me, too. We treasure the time we get to spend with each of you, and we're grateful for the ways you've become part of our lives. Love you both!
…and to God, the One who has been so very close to Carsen and me, and who has, for now, blessed me with these. I know these relationships are gifts. I know I don't get to keep every season, every person, or every moment forever. But I get to be here, right now, surrounded by people who love us, show up for us, and remind us of His goodness.
And for that, I am deeply, ridiculously, overwhelmingly grateful.
This year, I'm especially grateful for:
CARSEN: Being your mom is THE BEST. You make me laugh and cry, think deeply, go to God, and hope for more. I love watching you grow into a young man who cares deeply. You are a good friend, wise, hilarious, and a hard worker. I love to talk with you about books, and hear your heart about life. I will forever tell you how amazing and awesome you are, even when I get the eye rolls and “STOOOPPPPP, Mom!” because you truly are the best gift to me and this world. Thank you for giving me joy, perspective, and constant reminders of what matters most. I love you.
MY PARENTS: I am so glad to be your daughter. You are both servants and givers. The unsung heroes working behind the scenes. I see you and all that you do for Carsen and me. “THANK YOU” feels wildly inadequate for the amount of carting my kid around town, dinners cooked, laundry done, and basically being my personal secretaries, making sure I know where I need to be and when. You make our lives better in a million ways, many of which I probably don't even notice until I stop and think about them. Thank you for loving us so well. I love you.
STEPH & STEWART: My (basically) brother and sister. Carsen's (basically) aunt and uncle. Thank you for always asking us up for holidays AND non-holidays. You make us feel so seen and wanted. Thank you for loving my boy like your own nephew and pouring into him whenever you're around him. Stewart, thank you for the deep theological talks and book discussions. I always love hearing your thoughts and learning from the way you see things. Steph, thank you for always being a sounding board, sending me funny reels to watch at night, and being a dear friend I can turn to with questions. You are so knowledgeable, smart, and insightful. I feel lucky to be your friend and (basically) sister. I love your family.
STEPH: My generational twin. Thank you for getting me. Like, TRULY getting me. For allowing me to be me, sharing your deep thoughts, letting me ask a million questions, and being adventurous, fun, sincere, and unapologetically YOU. The time spent with you is never enough. I love the way we can go deep, be ridiculous, and somehow do both in the same conversation. I love you.
THE BROCHACHO MOMS & DADS: Lanphiers, Steinbachs, Coreys, and Oesteichs… Thank you for the amazing boys you're raising into amazing men. Their friendship with Carsen is truly special. Thank you for loving him, seeing him, carting him around to practices and events, welcoming him into your homes to hang out with your families, sharing dinners out, and all the little things in between. It takes a village, and my son has a pretty great one. I don't take for granted that he has people outside our little family who genuinely care about him, want him around, and make room for him in their lives. I love each of your families!
CARLA: Carrrrrllllaaaa! My friend who CALLS instead of texts. Who sends reels as a legitimate form of communication. You are my ride-or-die. The peanut butter to my jelly, the cheese to my crackers, the extra guac I pay $3.50 for. Thank you for loving Carsen like a nephew. You are one of the only friends he asks about when something happens and says, “Have you told Carla?” You are loved by everyone in my family, including my parents, and I love that you're woven into our lives. I'm so glad we're still in each other's lives all these years later, celebrating and crying our way through life, year in and year out. Thank you for being a true, good, beautiful friend. I love you.
EVERY MAN WHO SAID YES TO A RITE OF PASSAGE WITH CARSEN: Stewart, Paul, Ken & Jaden, Kevin, Spencer & Taylor, Jake, Karl, dad… and every other man who will pour into Carsen over the next six months. THANK YOU. Thank you for making space and time to love Carsen, see him, and invest in the young man he's becoming. Thank you for saying yes to seeing him become a man of Godly character. Men who are kind, strong, emotionally intelligent, respectful, teachable, and rooted in Jesus. I know your time is valuable, and I don't take lightly the fact that you're willing to share it with my son. You are strong, faithful men, and I am grateful Carsen gets to learn from you. And thank you to your wives who said yes, too! It takes a village, and I am so thankful ours includes you. Carsen and I love you!
BLUSH BUDDIES: My workout girls. My Blush babes. Getting up at 6 a.m. is always better when I get to see your faces and get my butt kicked. Let’s be real: I probably wouldn’t go without you. Emily, thank you for being our glue. Without you, Julie and I would probably just get coffee and talk. Julie, thank you for making it fun just by being there. You both are my fellow endorphin chasers and the other half of this questionable decision to voluntarily get up before the sun to be sore for the rest of the day. And our glutes have never looked so good! I love you both!
GRANDPA JOHN & MR. MICHAEL: Thank you for loving Carsen and me and for all the ways you shower us with love and care. Thank you for truly loving my kid like he's your own grandson in so many different ways. Thank you for seeing me, too. We treasure the time we get to spend with each of you, and we're grateful for the ways you've become part of our lives. Love you both!
…and to God, the One who has been so very close to Carsen and me, and who has, for now, blessed me with these. I know these relationships are gifts. I know I don't get to keep every season, every person, or every moment forever. But I get to be here, right now, surrounded by people who love us, show up for us, and remind us of His goodness.
And for that, I am deeply, ridiculously, overwhelmingly grateful.
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