Friday Five: Let Us Give Thanks (A Love Letter)

Thanksgiving is upon us and I have to admit, this is my absolutely FAVORITE holiday! A full day committed to giving thanks, good food, and family gets my vote any day of the week. The entire month of November always makes me stop and think about all of those things in my life that I have to be grateful for. So here are my thoughts on gratitude this year and all of the things that I will give thanks for!

I’m not a naturally sunshine-y person (surgery residency beat that out of me, and although Emergency Medicine Residency was much kinder, I never really recovered my optimism- but that is definitely a conversation for another day.) And although I am not a religious person I will say that I have been blessed by good fortune, good support, and good luck. So here is my love letter to those things that I will give thanks for this year. (These are in no particular order-and I’m sure I’me probably leaving out a million things…but I only have so much space)…

#1 My Family

My family is the reason for everything else so this one actually IS number #1. My two kiddos, my husband, my parents, my in-laws, etc. My husband is a saint (as it has been said many times before) as he deals with my insane schedule and inability to say no to new commitments (like the third bookclub I added? Or a new BeautyCounter business?) . He just goes with the flow. He has been kind, level headed, and supportive. And my kids-raising my kids has been humbling, surprising, and so, so glorious. Guiding them (or letting them find their own way) through this crazy life has been an amazing experience. Watching them excel at a variety of things and watching them develop their own personalities is so much fun. I am so grateful for all of them.

#2 My Friends

Almost daily I have a text chain going with my besties. They keep me sane, validate my feelings (of which there are many-sorry ladies!), and lend immeasurable support. They cheer on my crazy, and support my new ventures. They talk me down off of the ledge when I’m upset and revel in my excitement when something great happens. They understand my wacky Christmas card obsession, my love of food, and they never, ever roll their eyes when I have again been unable to say no to another commitment (at least not in front of me!). I’ve mentioned my ride or dies before, but when we’re talking about gratitude, they’re always at the very top of my list.

#3 My Health

I’ve had a few health challenges this year that have caused me to pause and start trying to enact true lifestyle change. It hasn’t been easy, but as I tell my kids, most things that are worthwhile aren’t easy. And we can do hard things. I have been lucky enough to have great physicians, decent insurance, and great access to care. Although I’ve always been a huge believer in the Food as Medicine movement, I have been trying to adopt more of it in my daily life, and it is astonishing how much I have learned. (Sorry, Taco Bell, although I miss you, I’ve been trying my best to close the door on you.) As I’ve started enacting changes and embarking on further testing, I feel like I’m slowly but surely getting back on top of things, and for that I am grateful.

#4 My Community

This is a big one and encompasses so much of my life. I could not be more grateful for the amazing schools available to my kids, all of the amazing teachers (in school and extracurriculars) that have touched their lives, the amazing access we have to parks and nature, the amazing house I get to live in. I am grateful for my supper club who provides fantastic support and nights of laughter, wine, and delicious food. I am grateful for my bookclubs-all three of them have introduced me to other book loving women who are have become great friends. I am grateful for my job and all of the super talented physicians, nurses, techs, lab and X-ray personnel, housekeepers, registration personal, etc. that I get to work with. I could never continue doing such a high stress job without all of them and all of our patients are so lucky to have them as well. I am grateful for my BeautyCounter team who have introduced me to a whole new way of spreading a message of “that what you put on your skin matters” (Because it does).

#5 This Blog

I am so grateful for this blog. It was born out of a time where I needed to exercise my creative brain. A time when I needed more than my full time job. And it has delivered, in spades. Every time I hear that someone got into the kitchen, made one of our recipes, read one of our posts, appreciated a tip, or just came to lurk, it makes my heart happy. We are so grateful for every one of you who goes out of your way to read this, subscribes, spreads our posts, or comments on things either on social media or on the blog itself. We know you are busy and we are humbled that you choose to spend some of your time with us! We hope to bring you more of our recipes, tips, lifestyle thoughts, and tales from the kitchen in the upcoming year. We truly believe in Food as Medicine.

With Two Spoons in the news (we are SO grateful!)

ACEP NOW: FACEPS in the Crowd: Dr. Lane Patten

Minnesota Monthly: Why these Two ER Doctors Became Food Bloggers

Southwest Metro Magazine: Local Food Bloggers Blend Friendship with Their Love of Food

Southwest Metro Magazine: Three Delicious Recipes for Your At-Home Spring Brunch

Still trying to get organized for Thanksgiving? Use our downloadable Thanksgiving Menu Planner!

How I’m Prepping for Thanksgiving (+ downloadable Thanksgiving Menu Planner)