Lauren van Vliet, author

Someone recently commented that this fall has been ‘spicy’, and I couldn’t agree more. I came into it thinking I was prepared. And I was, in the best way I could: lots of food in the freezer for busy weeks, running task lists, and thoughtful plans with flexibility.

And not a single thing has turned out the way I expected it to.

One busy week turned into six in a row. Running task lists became guidelines, at best. And every thoughtful plan was adapted at least once (more often several times).

And, tonight, in the face of all of the spice, the only thing I can think to say is ‘thank you’.
Thank you that I started exercising because the increased energy is coming in handy.
Thank you that I have amazing friends, near and far, who share equally in the peaks and valleys of life.
Thank you that I have an incredible, tight-knit extended family that supports each other in all seasons.
Thank you that I listened to the intuition of the Spirit to make that food, among other things, even though I didn’t want to.

As with cooking, I can’t really remove the spice from my life. It’s part of what makes it my life mine. So I’ll keep adapting what else gets added to the mix, and always look for the grace with gratitude.