What I’m posting today is an attempt to get back my inspiration for my baby, my passion –my “Mom’s Soul Café.” I still go to the coffee shop. I have been there every day getting my mochas and learning, but not writing. I spent two months studying for (and passing, whoo hoo!) the real estate exam. It was a lofty goal for me to do in two months with kids, hubby and a marketing business that is taking up much of my time.

I said at the beginning of this year, I would be working on making money; to have a bank account of my own making. And I have been successful at it. Not wildly, mind you; I have been building towards something, especially with my real estate studies. But with the strides I have made in this year’s declaration, I have seen much of my passion for writing get pushed down in the stampede of life. Making money and raising kids leaves little time for pursuits of my true passion – writing.

The most intriguing part is that when I have been able to steal a moment to jot down my thoughts, I don’t have a thing to say, spiritually, motherly or otherwise. I know why – to be a writer, I have to write. I have to write all the time, even in my sleep! It’s what makes the creative flow come a flowin’.

So many life events have happened, but I haven’t had the words to express what the essence of those circumstances mean to me deeper down, under the surface of any seemingly mundane event.

For instance, the other day, Jessie and I were getting in the mini-van to go somewhere. It was a rainy day and it was cold. We were bundled up, getting in and Jessie said, “I sure am glad we have a car to go in today.”

As if we don’t have a car every day to go somewhere. My baby, who, if I’m being honest, doesn’t show a whole ton of gratitude for anything, much less a dang car to ride in, was showing me that there is a gracious bone in her body. Just so you know, unprompted gratitude from my children makes my heart sing.

I said to her, “I’m so happy you recognize that we are fortunate to have a car on a day like today, or any day for that matter. That feeling you are having is called gratitude, or being thankful for what you have.”

To top off my week, we went to the tree lighting at the local mall on Thanksgiving night, to see the tree light up, drink hot chocolate in the freezing weather, and hear Christmas carols a full month before Christmas. It was great.

Only my crew would to go the tree lighting in person and watch it on TV from the tablet!

When I was going to sleep with Nathan that night (yep, I’m still in his bed until he falls asleep and I sneak away to my bed), he up and said, “Thank you mom for going to the tree lighting tonight, I had a really good time. And, I’m going to tell daddy thank you for organizing it and taking us.”

Then he turned over and went to sleep. And I took a deep sigh of relief, from my physical body and my soul. Was that a gracious word coming from both of my kids in one week? I think it was.

And I am grateful.

Happy Holidays!