I know it's not Thanksgiving but...

"I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man with no feet."

This was one of my father's favorite proverbs when I was a kid and I heard it many, many times. As a child, hearing this saying used to give me a little pang of guilt for being an ungrateful brat before I brushed it off and pushed it to the back of my memory. It must have stuck somewhere back there because lately I think of it all the time.

It started when my son got sick with a fever which sent his sleeping patterns into a downward spiral. It was at that moment that I realized I shouldn't have complained about his 30 minute power naps because no napping at all was much worse!

That was a small example but then I started seeing and hearing of other situations that made me start thanking my lucky stars every day.

One day I saw a sick child (might have been blind but I couldn't tell) out being taken care of an elderly woman who might have been a nun (but looked like a saint to me). My heart sank and swelled as I looked at my healthy son in his stroller and said a silent prayer of thanks.

Then I heard of an acquaintance of an acquaintance whose baby passed away tragically. And suddenly I was hearing these heart-wrenching stories everywhere. They made me want to take my baby in my arms and never let him go.

It made me realize how truly blessed I am to have everything I have ever wanted - a happy marriage, a healthy child, a home of my own and a job that I love.

So even though it's Christmas, not Thanksgiving, I want to take this opportunity to give thanks for all my wonderful blessings. All I want for Christmas is everything I already have.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas surrounded by your loved ones and a New Year filled with health and happiness.

...and to those with children who still wake at night, I wish you a silent night!