The Mantel

I've been spending quite a bit of time of late focusing on this scene. This is my living room, aka The Christmas Tree room. It is the room that doesn't get used much unless someone is trying to hide or escape. This is just a shot of the mantle, but just to the left is a small couch that sits in front of two very tall windows.  Outside of those windows are lots of veryveryvery tall evergreens. It is a good spot to escape. Around this time of year it is the perfect spot because I put up my Thankful banner for Thanksgiving and will soon hang the stockings with care. But as I focus on it right now, I focus on the banner and the simplicity...and I focus on the mantel. A mantel is something that covers or frames. What do I want to mantel my life? Thankfulness. What do I want to sit on top of my thankfulness? Light.

For those outside of the Seattle/Pacific Northwest (and SF), the amazing votives on the mantel are Glassbabys. Aside from the amazing spirit in which these were founded, each Glassybaby has a name and a "spirit" if you will. This is my more reflective collection. My favorite one is Hide and Seek. On days when life gets a bit jumbled...I like to Hide and Seek. I may light my Glassys, come here to read my Bible, read a book, write a blog or just sip a hot cup of tea and refocus...on being thankful...because there is so much to be thankful for.

I had a conversation just today about perspective. I don't consider myself an optimist...rather I try to always step back, take my thoughts captive and look for the good...because there is always good. Even in the midst of my greatest tragedies, there has been good. Yes, there is always someone worse off than me, but in reality, when my basic needs are being met, there is a reason to be thankful. So today - a day when I'm feeling more contemplative - I choose to mantel my life with Thankfulness and Light because it is sunny (Yes, I have the Sunshine glassybaby), I am healthy, my needs are being met and while life may not always look the way I want it to or the way I think it should, I trust that I am right where I am suppose to be and that I can either fight it or rest in it...and I will rest in it.