Take a Moment to Say Thanks and Look Around for a Minute (without your Smartphone)

Our lives are busy. We're equipped with more gadgets that supposedly help us cut through the clutter, save time, and get us to instant everything. Yet iPhones are our new CrackBerries and everything is an app. We're addicted to social media (surprised? no). I finally caved and registered for a Twitter account last week. The twitter people forced me to "Follow" at least four people, four topics and four friends. I've done one test tweet and haven't used it again. My life was pretty good without Twitter. I wonder how it's going to change now? What's next, a little monitor we can wear on our chests that displays a dashboard of rolling messages about how many push ups we've completed, or what we ate for lunch?  Ray Kurzweil forecasts that we’ll eventually be implanting computers and nanobots in our bodies and brains to enhance their natural functions. Thanks, but I like my brain the way it is.

After I got my iPhone last year I made a vow to never text and drive. (Let me note that prior to December 2012 I was rocking a 2001 Nokia flip in metallic red and had no idea how to text).

Ancient history

The other day I was driving on a highway and I got a text message. I heard the little "ding" and for some reason, decided to grab the phone out of my bag and see who texted. I was bored. Without my reading glasses, it took a little longer to decipher the message. Seconds later I heard a jarring "Honk" and realized I was swerving into the next lane. My body shook with fear and I tossed my phone on the floor. Never again. Ever.

While waiting for my son at his math school the other day, all the parents were glued to their smart phones. What could be so fascinating at 10:30 a.m. on a Sunday? I was thinking about taking my son to get some chocolate milk at Starbucks and engage in conversation.  Or should I let everyone on Facebook know my plans?

So on this Thanksgiving eve, I wanted to think about some simple things I'm thankful for, minus the bits and bytes, tweets and pins, and likes and shares.

Thanks for. . .

. . .a wonderful New England fall
With about three more weeks left of official fall, the weather is starting to dip into the 30s. And while those temps may not equate to extreme cold, it feels mind-numbingly frigid for us New Englander's who've been spoiled with a milder than normal fall season. Here are some shots taken during a few long runs in mild temps.

Commonwealth Ave path

Commonwealth Ave carriage road

. . .my smart, funny, sometimes crazy, energetic kids
They make me laugh and they drive me crazy. Sometimes I just stare at their profile while they are watching TV or reading a book and I think, "These are my kids. I am so lucky."

I got a little chuckle the other day during my son's first grade "giving thanks" show. Each kid went around the room and read what they were thankful for. Here's what my son had to say:

"I am thankful for myself, the kindle and Legos."

OK, I got a little work to do.

. . .no major car accidents
Seriously. During this sabbatical, the lack of normal structure has wreaked havoc on my life. I am one billion times more klutzy running a household than running a global investment operation. Hopefully the little run-in with the garage this spring is the last and only interference with automotive vehicles.

. . .a happy home
During my time off this summer, I hired a designer to help me reconfigure a few rooms. I needed to ditch the litany of games, toys and puzzles that overtook our living space and graduate to a grown-up house. I decided that the front entryway needed a make-over. I wanted to greet my guests with whimsy and frivolity upon entering our home. So, here's what we did. And thanks to Sarah Smyth, the talented wall covering artist who made the transformation possible.

Wall covering from Osborne & Little, Persian Gardens collection



Light fixture from Pottery Barn, Capiz Flushmount



So let this Thanksgiving remind you to be thankful, not only because the calendar says so, but all the time. Be thankful everyday. Say it to yourself, someone you love, or a stranger