Motherhood
15 Mamas On What They’re Thankful For In 2016
Written by James Kicinski-McCoy
Photography by PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHELLE DREWES
Nov 23, 2016
It’s quite easy to get wrapped up in the roasted turkey, cranberries, and sweet potato casserole that come along with Thanksgiving, but it’s important to take a moment to keep in mind why we’re gathering with our family and friends for this feast in the first place. That said, we’ve asked some of the subjects behind our Mother stories to share what they are most thankful for this holiday season.
-
- "The last few weeks have been very challenging, pivoting towards gratitude and sentiments of thanks feels like a good exercise. I am grateful for my children, who are constant joy and love and motivation. I am grateful that my children are young enough to not fully grasp current politics, although they will ultimately be effected by them. I’m grateful that my children will gain more of a comprehensive world view through our activism leading up to the next election, they will learn how to be involved, believe in something while remaining respectful of differing opinions."
-
- "This year my life changed. I had a beautiful baby boy Diego and I'm extremely thankful for him because it took some time to conceive him. And now, my husband and I are celebrating our first holiday season as a family of three. It's exciting for me to function as a family. The job as a mother has always been part of my plan and I'm grateful that I was chosen by him to become one. It's difficult, but I'm happy that I'm being morphed into a better person because of him. I'm grateful that I have the power to teach him about being a kind, generous, smart, witty, young man who will be part of a generation to make great change in this world."
-
-
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." —Melody Beattie
"This year I am thankful to understand this meaning of gratitude. Grateful for whatever 'is'. Each choice we make in our present moment is another step to building our future. And being in the moment and seeing it for 'as it is', accepting fills me with thankfulness for everything in life/in my life as it is. With all the 'good' and the 'bad', the 'easy' and the 'hards' of life. So yes, I am thankful for life as it is, accepting it and loving it and not resisting any parts of it. It's a challenge at times and probably will be for a life time, but thankful that I get to work on it everyday."
-
- "This holiday season I'm particularly thankful for the many smart, thoughtful, strong, and open-hearted women in my life. I'm lucky to know them and so very grateful that my daughter is growing up around them."
-
- "In a world that is so uncertain and in a year that was absolutely beyond intense I am extremely grateful for my family and friends. To be able to pull them close and lean on them. I am thankful that we have the chance to support and stand up for those around us who need it. I am thankful to be able to give back with all the resources I have. I am thankful for the opportunities ahead as we forge our path out west and for the adventure I am on with my family."
-
- "I'm most thankful for my family. I feel an unexpected level of satisfaction and it is amazing! I love my husband, my daughter, and I'm most thankful for the new baby we're expecting in April. Life is pretty perfect these days."
-
- "I am most thankful for my son, Lincoln, and all the lessons that still unfold that he quietly teaches me. He may not be with us physically on Earth, but his teachings and presence are all around. I am forever thankful to him for his choice, and for getting his twin sisters to us safely! I am also very thankful for my fiancè, James, he truly is the world's best dad and partner! Also, my baby girls for choosing me to be their mommy and having so much patience with me as I care for them. There's so much to be thankful for!"
-
- "I am most thankful for my husband and the support I feel from him. My world wouldn't be as great as it is without him. I know whenever I need an ear or a hug or a tender moment he is there for me. Having a partner to lean on when you have children and run your own business is a gift I never take for granted. Love love love you Bee!"
-
- "This holiday season will be my third without my son Ryan, though it will be my first with my daughter Mila. My feeling of gratitude is laced with bittersweetness. I am continuously grateful for my children, both of them. They made me into the strong woman I am today and life with them is truly the best. They have taught me so much about life at their tender young ages. I am honestly the luckiest mama. Even through the grief of losing my son, I still feel grateful for what my motherhood looks like. This holiday season proves to be the best and hardest yet. I am grateful for my daughter and the light she bestows upon my husband and I. Though, I can't help but feel sad as we tally another year with out my son. Emotions run high during this time of year. Gratitude is one we feel always. To sum it all up, I am most thankful for my children this holiday season and the joy they both bring to me and my husband. I am also thankful for my mother's stash of ginger snap cookies."
-
- "This holiday season I am especially thankful for community—the community my husband and I have built for our family, which includes wonderful friends, neighbors, and relatives that our kids are fortunate enough to be surrounded by every single day."
-
- "I am most thankful for my beautiful, healthy, and happy family. All of us love to cook, including our 2-year-old son Costa. This year will be the first year he can really help out in the kitchen. I am looking forward to playing with flour and dough, and making lots of fluffy biscuits with him!"
-
- "This holiday season I am most thankful for the brave, outspoken, and powerful women in my life endeavoring to put concrete change into action."
-
- "I am thankful for my wonderful supportive husband, my two daughters who bring me joy everyday, and my friends who inspire me everyday to keep on pursuing my dream! I hope that’s not too cheesy, but it is the truth."
-
- "This year I am so thankful to live in an inclusive, supportive, politically engaged community. I'm thankful to come to work daily with smart, driven, well informed women and the most thankful to be raising two thoughtful and outspoken daughters."
-
- "There are so many things I can name that I am thankful for. Apart from my family and health, I am incredibly thankful for the community we have grown to be a part of this year, new friends, the many opportunities, and sometimes challenges that came with it"
-
- “What am I most grateful for this holiday season? It’s a hard question because it's always the same every holiday. I am always most grateful for every minute I get to share with everyone I love—family, friends, and community!”
Share this story
