Inspire Me - Family

I suppose it's only fitting to talk about family the week of Christmas.  We are very blessed to be surrounded by lots of family. My son has several sets of grandparents and great parents.  This past week, we have taken time to visit with them all.  There are special things about each one of them.  I draw inspiration from not only their love, but also their personalities.

My Mammaw, my maternal grandmother, has such a gentle spirit.  She is kind and patient while paying the utmost of attention to you.  It's encouraging to be in her company because you know she truly values that time with you.  She inspires me to be more attentive and intentional in my every day life.

My Granny and Papaw, my paternal grandparents, both have a lot of spunk. Its not uncommon for me to be surprised by something they say.  They say what they think and you don't have to wonder about any hidden intent.  I love how Granny is very serious about time spent with family.  There are no excuses accepted for time not spent with family. They inspire me to keep my priorities in order and to be who I am with no apologies.

This year there were a few changes in our families' traditions and one old tradition brought back from my childhood.  I, of course, had these grand plans to capture everything in pictures so we could replay the memories for years to come. But at the end of Christmas day, I was left with just a few random pictures of Dealan opening his gifts and a couple goofy family shots.  In the end, I chose to just sit back and mentally take in everything.  I looked at my son's face as he opened up his gifts and saw his true reactions face to face.  Sometimes I think we loose those moments when we are so focused on capturing the 'best' photo of the day.  I didn't want to loose those moments this time around.  Dealan kept me on my toes most of the day chasing him around.  He's a full on little guy, who very rarely slows down.

Merry Christmas everyone.  I hope your day(s) were filled with family. May they ever inspire us.

P.S.  I did get all my Christmas gift knitting finished...before Christmas Eve too !