Holidays are a time fraught with exaggerated expectations of a Norman Rockwell picture postcard experience. If your family is anything like mine, we fall far short of this lofty goal. Someone drinks a bit too much or complains about the new cranberry sauce while the kids run around screaming from too much sugar and not enough rest. In the midst of the chaos, I find it helpful to focus on all the things for which I’m grateful. Although my family isn’t perfect, I know they love me. I’m blessed with wonderful clients, work I love, a husband who tolerates my idiosyncrasies with amused affection. While your standing in line to buy the latest gadget your teenager must have, tearing through your recipe book at midnight before the big day or grinding your teeth in slow, holiday traffic remember; there’s always someone who has it worse; someone who has lost a loved one, someone in poor health, someone without a job, someone living in a war torn country with no food or clean water to drink, someone who would cry tears of joy to have the life you have. The holidays are about gratitude and giving and as we enter the season, consider how you can bring joy to someone else while feeling gratitude at the abundance of your own life. It will make the season brighter and although none of us will have perfection we all can find contentment in giving to those less fortunate while expressing gratitude for the small blessings we find everyday. May you have a great holiday season.