Today marks our last Wednesday of November. Time is flying by, so what better way to appreciate every moment than to focus on the people, places, and things we truly cherish. Not to mention, tomorrow is a day dedicated to being thankful—of taking a breath and just appreciating all that life has given you in the past year.

This Week’s Thoughts

The Merriam-Webster definition of anxiety is “painful or apprehensive uneasiness over an impending or anticipated ill.” We’ve all felt this. That heaviness in our gut. The sweaty palms. A hard, quick pulse of the heart. These symptoms come when we look to the future and worry, when we imagine all the terrifying horrible things that could befall either ourselves or the ones we love. Sometimes the anxiety is subtle, taking up a small space in the back of our minds for the most part, but rearing up and striking when we least expect it. I know for me, one of my biggest sources of anxiety, is the thought of losing the people I love.

This is not a subject people tend to talk about frequently, but when it does come up, I find that a good number of people have a similar fear. What I love about Maya Angelou’s quote is that she’s not trying to dispel this fear, only remind us that it’s not a very productive fear. Rather than toss and turn and imagine terrible things, why not laugh and hug and enjoy the precious days we are given to spend together?

Happy early Thanksgiving!