Gratitude in Every Moment: A Thanksgiving Reflection

On this episode of the We Share Podcast, Alex and Julie celebrate Thanksgiving week by diving into the theme of gratitude. They reflect on the importance of recognizing the blessings in their lives, from personal growth and meaningful relationships to the power of connection and self-care. Julie shares how facilitating discussions about mental wellness with young adults in her church has deepened her understanding of growth, loss, and gratitude. Meanwhile, Alex opens up about embracing change and finding support in the people around her while venturing into new horizons.

They discuss the beauty of energy alignment, the significance of listening to intuition, and the healing power of tuning into our bodies. They also touch on holiday traditions, like the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, and the joy of creating space for gratitude before diving into the Christmas season. Above all, they remind listeners to focus on the good, because gratitude can magnify the positive aspects of life.

Tune in to this heartfelt episode and let Alex and Julie inspire you to reflect on your blessings this Thanksgiving season.

Transcript

Trying to grow can be uncomfortable, but it's so necessary. So I love to grow and learn. But there is that pain when you're growing and changing. There is a pull to go back to what's comfortable. And I'm really trying to break out and new horizons, and it's scary and so I'm just so grateful for the gifts. The people I know in my life that support me.

Today on the We Share podcast, it's all about gratitude.

Welcome to the We Share podcast. I'm Julie. I'm Alex. We share ourselves and we provide a platform for others to share. We believe everyone has a purpose and a story to tell. And we're back on the We Share podcast. I'm Julie and I'm Alex, and it's Thanksgiving week. Yes, it's Thanksgiving week and we have so much to be thankful for.

That's what we're coming with today. We wanted to talk to you about the beautiful things that we have in our life, and hopefully us talking about our gratitude will help you realize the wonderful things you have in your life. Yeah. Just consider an open invitation to take some time this week to really think and ponder about the things in your life that you're thankful for, the people, the gifts you have, stuff like that.

Okay, I'm going to start it off because I have actually, before we even did this podcast, I had a realization on Sunday of something I'm so grateful for. So I in my, religion, I have been asked to teach a class. It's not even really teaching. I facilitate a class, classes. What I do, and, it's at a college, and I, the kids can voluntarily come and we talk for, like, between an hour and an hour and a half.

And I facilitate a discussion about our mental wellness so that I know I love it. It's been an amazing I call it a church calling, but it's just been amazing that I've been and been invited to do this. So this week, we discussed sadness, depression and the grieving process and how we can handle the grieving process and how we can help others with the grieving process.

And it was such a wonderful discussion. And those kids who I mean, I'm 51 and here these young people are 19, 20, 21. And they taught me so many things on Sunday because in the way that this is structured is we just talk and listen to each other and bounce ideas off of each other. There's guidelines that we go through, but then we we talk after we read these sections about grieving or whatever.

And one of the things that they taught me is that we can grieve good things too. Yes. And I just sat there and went, those are the sadness that I feel when amazing stuff happens. And I've never been able to identify that. And I was so grateful that a 22 year old kid taught me that on Sunday to go, it's okay to grieve even when good things happen, because you're moving through the process and it's healthy.

Yeah, it's what I need. I mean, we look forward to something so much when that good thing happens and there is a little bit of grief, you're like, oh, wait, it's over. Yes. There was, there's the over there, it's over. Or I grieve success versus them that my kids have. And I'm like, what is that? Well, it's because I'm not standing shoulder to shoulder with them because they live in a different state.

Right? It's okay to feel happiness, but I so grieve the fact, like, oh, I missed I wish I was there. Yeah. And and it's okay as long as I understand the grief process and I put it in the correct places. Right. So so thankful in the in the spirit of we share that in my church calling, I get to share every week.

I wish they would have been doing that when we were. It's a fairly new program. It's I think it's brilliant because it fosters connection and community and like, like mindedness, but also because most of the time, I mean, you're bringing up depression and sadness. Those things come because you feel alone. Yeah. And you don't know, maybe no one's relatable to you, but you might find out just by talking with a group of friends that, oh, all of y'all.

You know, they're not too. So that was one that was so evident in my life on Sunday, how grateful I was that I can learn from a 22 year old kid, and that I am still growing at 51 and becoming a better person. Yes. Always growing. Yeah. Yeah, that's what it's about. Okay, okay. All. Well, I almost want to like, use that and then as inspiration for mine, but okay.

So I am thankful, for right now, so much has been going on and in my personal life, lots of changes. And I really feel like I have a really solid handful of good friends, and my kids are amazing and just the gifts that they share with me. So not tangible gifts, but love, grace, kindness. Can I can I be bold enough to say an open heart?

Yes. Open heart and trying to grow can be uncomfortable, but it's so necessary if you're my personality type at all. So I love to grow and learn. But there is that pain when you're growing and changing, then that metamorphosis. There is a pull to go back to what's comfortable and and really trying to break out and new horizons and, and it's scary.

And so I'm just so grateful for the gifts, the people I know in my life that support me and encouraged me, and the universe that keeps having my back like it's amazing. Yeah, that's why I said open heart. Because, yeah, I think when you say, okay, I'm ready, bring it to me. Yes. It's scary. It is scary. And you don't have to do the work.

It's not easy, but it will reap the, you know, whatever you call it. I would say it. God response. Yes. God the God. Is it God inside? God outside, all of it? Yes. We definitely are connected by energy and people match your energy. And so when you raise your energy levels, you're going to find like all these new dimensions and opportunities.

And it's scary, but it's also some really exciting. So I'm just really grateful for the gifts in my life. Can I deviate for a second? Because what this is a podcast about gratitude. But you and I both listened to the Huberman podcast. Did you listen to the one about, the connection that, children and mothers have?

No, but now I want to. It's recent. It's only a couple of weeks old. Maybe. Maybe there's only maybe one podcast in front of it. But he talks about that scientist talks about that when a child is in the third trimester in the mother's womb, that the right brain of the mom and the right brain of the child start communicating.

Oh, wow. That there is an energy that goes between them. And then when we're out in the regular world, we actually do that with each other. So when you talk about people matching you in their energies, your right brains are matching up with each other. And that's what this podcast was about. And I just went, I get why I'm drawn to people.

Yes, I understand that. That's the scientific edge of it, that I didn't have the explanation for. But there's absolutely this draw to people, and they talk about the, ability to look somebody in the eye and know when you're connecting to them. Oh, yeah, that's your right brain speaking to each other. And then also know when you don't want to connect to someone.

Absolutely. Because you're like, wait, that's not a good energy. That doesn't feel right. Yeah. Yeah. So when you're saying your energies connect scientifically, they do. That's amazing. And I feel like and you could probably you would probably second this are agree. When our kids go through something hard and they're in another state or whatever, even if we haven't got the call yet, don't you feel something?

Absolutely. Like something is off and then if I look down and I see one of my kids and I'm like, something's going on. Like, I just know, you know, like, that's why I was feeling that way earlier. And I had a daughter who, had a difficulty in life a while back. And I called her and I said, are you okay?

And she goes, I knew, you knew I knew, you knew. And I'm like, I did. I just there was this like this itch inside of me going, something's off. Yeah, I've I've even had that happen with girlfriends like, hey, I'm just calling to check in and they're like, oh my gosh, I needed this. Like, so we can do this as humans.

So that's a gift to be thankful for. This I get it is a gift and also everyone has it. If you can take time to like quiet your mind and meditate and really retreat inward, go inward. There's so much to it. Yeah. You. Well yeah. Let me think what else am I thankful for? Okay. This is a random one.

I have not quite identified what my health challenge was last summer at not summer 20 2024. Your little heart murmur. My heart thing that I had going on. I've had some doctors tell me it was Covid. I've had other doctors say, now I think you have an autoimmune eye and I will take the blame for this. I haven't taken the time to make sure I get into an autoimmune doctor to have all of the tests done.

I have it a thing that I don't like doctors. It's just my finance overwhelming. And sometimes they're like, well, if I don't get the test and I don't see the results, then I don't have it. Yes, and I could just power my way through this. So, I've, I've had a couple of bumps since then. I had a bump a few weeks back.

I just did not feel good. And I was sitting somewhere with my husband, and I looked at him and I said, my joints and my toes hurt. And that's when I knew. I knew I was, I was back, I was getting close, back to that place. The next day, my heart did hurt again. It's all about inflammation. I just don't know what causes the inflammation.

The whole reason I'm telling you this isn't so grateful that I finally listen to my body. I just I took the whole next day. It was a Sunday. I took it off. I laid the whole day. I didn't do anything, I relaxed, I, I looked at myself and I said, get your stuff together, eat your right foods that aren't inflammatory.

You have to take care of yourself. That next 5 or 6 days, I made sure I got about eight hours sleep that had me going to bed at like 8:00 at night. Oh yeah, but I made sure I got it and I have moved through it and I'm feeling great again. Yay! So I am thankful for the bad times that make me listen to my body and go, you have more power than you think you have, even if you haven't taken the steps to go to a doctor yet.

Because I need to do that and go ahead and scold me. But at least I do. I at least I listen to my body, and I'm grateful for the bad times that taught me to do that, right. Well, I think we can heal ourself so a lot through just food and medicine and sleep like we're genetically designed to heal ourselves.

Like, yeah, we gotta scrape it hills like. So that was smart. I went, I'm thinking, was it the same Sunday I laid in bed all day after the Holy War? Yeah. I just didn't feel well. Yeah, I just didn't feel well once I got, you know, it might have been the same Sunday, like two weeks ago. Like lasagna.

So I. I'm thankful. I'm thankful for the bad moments because they've taught me a lot. Yeah. Well, I'm thankful they've taught you a lot. And then you've shared with me to make me appreciate that I want to. I'm going to dive into, something I do every year as I run the Turkey Trot. Like for the Thanksgiving race.

Yeah. And I haven't been running a lot, but I'm still going to do it. I got my hair done today, and, Mel's like, are we running the Thanksgiving race? And I'm like, can we run? Walk? And so we're going to run walk. And it's been so fun because she always includes me with her family. My kids do not like to run, so I get to run with Mel and her husband and her daughters.

And so we do that. And then another reason why I love it is because then I can eat whatever I want. Not that I don't eat what I want, but I feel less guilty having the peace of my actions on Thanksgiving. But I still will wear starchy pounds. Okay. Are you thankful for days where it's okay to wear shoes?

Yes, I love the starchy vows. Yeah. So and then another thing is just like I love Thanksgiving. It's like one of my favorite holidays. And so I am probably the only person I know that I refuse, refuse to do one Christmas thing in my house until after Thanksgiving is over. And most people, like, I have my tree up.

Most of my friends do and have for weeks, and they think it's crazy that I still have orange everywhere. And pumpkins. Yeah, but I'm like, nope. It's usually the thing I do the day after Thanksgiving and I get my house ready for Christmas. And this year, because it's shorter, because we have such a late Thanksgiving, it is going to feel like Christmas got squeezed into like three weeks.

So I'm not going to. It's a lot of effort for three weeks to put up a tree and do all the things. So I don't know. I mean, I will put my tree out, but I might not go all out for Christmas because, okay, I'm going to do an experience this year anyway. I'm not even going to be around.

I'm so thankful that you're embracing that and not feeling this well. Everybody else is doing it, so I have to do it like you don't have to do it your way. If I had a husband to order around, I might. I might be like, hey, can you get the tree? How could you do like, might have been what?

I did a lot of extra work for me. And I've been so busy. Like, work is so busy right now, and I have another house closing. Like, it's just there's not enough hours in the day right now, but. So Christmas can wait, and I look, I just like it's an excuse to watch football and can I hide my turn?

Yeah, yeah. Hi, Jack. A gratitude moment for you. I am so grateful because you don't have your kids this year. You said that you have so many people in your life who love you that you're going to have a full Thanksgiving anyway. I am, I've been invited to like, three different Thanksgiving ish things, and I'm so thankful because I would just sit at home and probably, drink a glass of wine and, well, this is an eat great harvest.

Yeah, well, this is something that you and I share because we're both orphans, longtime listeners. If we share, we'll know that. And our families are are limited and smaller. And so I have spent Thanksgiving with just my husband. And so I am so glad that there's people that are reaching out to you to. Yeah, like, make you feel like part of a collective.

And I mean, that's all too. And so if you're listening to people out there, you. Yeah, there are good people out there. Yes. I'll, I'll end with this. I'm really grateful for you as a friend. I am so thankful that, we've been doing this two years. I know that you're in my life and that we have a friendship where you and I won't talk for a couple of weeks, and we can sit and talk for an hour.

Yeah, time just goes without us even realizing. Yeah. And I'm really grateful because you're a busy person and I'm a busy person, and neither one of us get intimidated by that or require. Yes. Like, I don't require things of you like, ridiculous, like to maintain a friendship. Yes. It's just easy. It's just easy. And I'm so grateful for that.

I'm grateful. Like, I love mature, awesome friends. Isn't my favorite thing that you do. It's guilt free. Yes, and you can still do it. I am like always so happy for your friends and like all the amazing things. I mean because you do. You have so many amazing things going on in your life too right now. And like it's just fun to watch people like do life, right?

Yeah. And I think we do that for each other when, when we have something awesome where the biggest cheerleader for that. Yes. And it doesn't mean we don't have the hard things. We talk about the hard things too, but we get through them where neither of us are like victim mentality. It's like, okay, this is a challenge. And then how am I gonna rise to meet, you know, grow through this?

So I'll end with my last gratitude for the day. I'll always just go back to. I've already mentioned family, but like my family and my I've, I've yeah, I have I think I've covered a family gifts. My job I'm, I'm actually I am I'm thankful that I am resilient and good at pivoting and flexible, like a lot of people say stretched.

Yeah. You're an expert at being stretched like, flexible and figuring out. Yeah, like there's always a way everything's figured out. Well, that's like one of my favorite little sayings for Maria, for Leo, for Leo. I can't ever say her last name, but yeah, I feel like I'm so thankful to be at a place in my life where giving up is not an option.

And there's beautiful things out there waiting for me. And I know it, and I'm excited for them. Even though sometimes I take my heels in, or pull my hair out. Yeah, I just, I, I'm excited for what the future holds. And I know there was days I probably couldn't have said that. And I'm so happy to be at a place where I can say that now.

We hope from our hearts that we share to yours that it's a great Thanksgiving, and that you can find gratitude. And if it's not the best year, there will be good years ahead. Yes, be thankful. And the more you focus on the good things in your life, because everyone has good, you will magnify that. You will amplify that and go ahead and grieve.

Happy Thanksgiving, happy Thanksgiving.

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