A Day to Give Thanks
Loose Change 3 Comments »My husband and I are gearing up to head to Atlanta and although all our family members are heading to different holiday gatherings tomorrow, we are not out of each other’s thoughts. (In fact, we’re all meeting for sushi tonight.? Not traditional but it is our favorite.) On the eve of Thanksgiving (and in honor of what the holiday truly means), I would like to take some personal time to give thanks and appreciation to those that enrich my life.
1) My Family - Even though I’m 13 years older than my sister, Suzanne, and 10 years older than my brother Jason, we are as thick as thieves. We run Garay Artisans together and ours is a perfect mix of talents and personalities. I’m very grateful that we can not only run a business together but that we can put that aside and remain siblings. Does that mean we fight? Ohhhhhhhhh, yeah. I’ve found, though, that we’ve become very good at understanding what makes us “tick” (and what makes us go “boom”, LOL!) and we work hard to make sure our relationships stay caring and strong. A big mention goes out to my sister’s little boy, Alex, for bringing a whole lot of joy and play into my life. And Mom — last but not least. Words fail at how much we love you.
On the left is my sister and I and on the right is my nephew, Alex, and myself
Below is a picture of my beloved siblings…
2) My Husband and His Family - Even though they are my family as well, I thought they deserved their own category. I’m convinced that at some point there was a Husband Lottery and I had the grandprize-winning ticket. I cannot say enough good things about my hubby, Chris — he is considerate, attentive, extremely interesting and whip smart. There have been times when I’ve literally been on the verge of despair over my business (the lean days) and he has picked me up, dusted me off and made me see the light at the end of the tunnel. I wish that everyone could leave work and come home to a kind, fun and caring household. As for his family? Sublime. I adore my mother-in-law and wish his entire family lived closer to us, especially now that I have a sweetie-pie second nephew, Nicholas.
We were at my husband’s best friend’s house when he snapped an impromptu pic of us (left) and on the right we are at a college football game (Go Canes!)
The newest member of our family: my nephew, Nicholas (aka Nicky-Mouse)
3) My Crew - I can’t say how grateful I am to have such a solid team of artisans working on our commissions. Some of them do own their own business and come on board when I need extra help and some work with me exclusively. Every one of them is hardworking, funny (oh, we have good times!) and creatively gifted. So thank you Roger, Debbie P., Monica, Pedro, Marvin, Debbie J. and Yuri!
Some of the crew at the Portofino Bay Hotel commission
4) My Clients - Last but certainly not the least. I have been blessed with wonderful clients who treat both my team and I like gold. I have those clients who love all elegance and those that love pushing the envelope. It’s a joy for us to try and go above and beyond what each expects. Every one of them is different and all of them are appreciated. Without clients, we would not have such a wonderful business.
So, I’ve come to the conclusion that I am a blessed girl — I truly do have a lot to be thankful for. I’m glad I had the opportunity to air how grateful I am to those in my life and I hope you take the opportunity to offer heart-felt appreciation to those that mean most to you. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
