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Aisle of Gratitude

7/16/2016

3 Comments

 
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By the time this is posted, our daughter’s wedding ceremony will be finished.  It is hard to believe.  So much preparation, so much waiting and anticipation and then….

When I speak at the reception, my opening line will be:
I don’t think that there is an aisle long enough to walk down that gives a mother the time she needs to think about her daughter, what she means to her and what this day means for both of them.  Today that aisle felt mighty, might short for I had so many thoughts of gratitude running through my head.

For me, this week has been one of gratitude.  As the preparations have amped up, I have set an intention to welcome this wedding and all it involves, and to be grateful for everything that it symbolizes and that it reminds me of.  First, I am grateful that our daughter is so happy, and that her choice in partner is one who brings out the best in her.  Matt loves her exactly how she is and I can envision them growing together; accepting each other exactly as they are now and also allowing each other to evolve.  What a gift. 

I am grateful for everyone who has shared in the journey of raising our daughter.  I am grateful for Jim’s and my family who have traveled here to be with us.  I am grateful that Kaitlyn knows that these people are her supporters.  I am grateful for all of the friends that Kaitlyn and Matt have made and who have traveled far distances to witness their special day.

I am grateful that our own little family loves to be together as we celebrate milestones.  We made this a ritual in our family from the time the children were young.  If one of us had something special going on, the rest of us were there to watch, cheer and be a part of it.  We love to be together and for that I am most grateful.

I am grateful that I have had the chance to be Kaitlyn’s mother.  What a gift.  I am grateful that this wedding is going to be hard for me, even though I am thrilled about it.  I know when it is hard to let go, it means that I have loved what I have had.  I am grateful that both Kaitlyn and Matt were able to have both their parents and their siblings at their wedding.  We were not always confident that this would be the case.

If you have been following my blog, you will no doubt know that I use examples from my real life to introduce some coaching tools that you can apply to your life – business and personal.  This week, the tool I am introducing is gratitude.  It could also be called acknowledgement.  Often in life we get caught up with setting a goal, chasing the goal, achieving the goal, and then racing on to the next goal.  While there is nothing wrong with this, there are also times in life when it is important to take a deep breath in order to acknowledge or give thanks for a milestone or an accomplishment. 

This week I am acknowledging all that it has taken to bring this wedding to reality.  I am acknowledging my work as a mother and my love for my daughter.  I am grateful for everything that this wedding symbolizes.
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I challenge you to choose something for which you can give yourself acknowledgment or something for which you are grateful.  Try to do this without assigning it any conditions.  Try to do it without setting a new goal.  Just take time to fully stand in the moment of what you have accomplished or for what you are grateful. Celebrate yourself.
Here comes the bride!
 
Don’t wait for a great moment to make change; take this moment and make great change.
Finding the tools you learn in these blogs to be helpful?  Contact me today to learn more about how we can work together to facilitate the change you want.

3 Comments
Lorrie Adams
7/16/2016 07:53:49 pm

Congratulations to that special daughter of yours. It was my priveledge to be a very small part of her school years and to watch what a loving caring young woman she became. Wish them a lifetime of happiness from me. I am grateful for knowing her, her brother and her mom and dad. A wonderful family!

Reply
Susan Gour
7/17/2016 08:36:40 am

Congratulations on this great milestone in all your lives! Our daughter just celebrated her 25th wedding anniversary and is so wonderful to watch and share these wondrous years and events with your children and those around you that you love and cherish so much. You will have so many more moments, big and small to look forward to, and, look back on. I, as you, am grateful for every single one!!
Congratulation to the newly married couple.....and think, perhaps one day the blessing of grandchildren. Now that is fun!!!!
Give Jim our love and may God continue to bless you both!
Wilf & Sue

Reply
Solange & Glenn Roy
7/17/2016 02:46:30 pm

Sooo happy for our nephew Matt who has met a beautiful lady to spend his life with. All the best life can offer!

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    Elizabeth Critchley (CPCC, ACC) is an accredited, certified, Professional Life Coach who excels at helping motivated clients clearly define and work toward their goals, dreams and purpose.  She believes it takes the same amount of energy to create a big dream as it does to create a little dream.  She encourages her clients to dare to dream big.

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