Last Thanksgiving I had a “ah ah moment.” Well I like to call it a “mom moment”….

I was running the house like CRAZY lady doing every single thing I could think of to make this holiday PERFECT for my entire family who were on their way and I sat for a moment to catch my breath.

And realized I was missing IT.

I think I even said out loud “I am missing it.”

It sounds so cliche, I know. But it’s true. I was missing what was truly important: my life and the people in it. Not making sure the linen napkins are ironed before placing them on the table, or the centerpieces look perfect, or the chocolate chip pecan pies look like the magazine photo. (Because no matter how hard I try, they never do.)

Or using the right serving platters, or that every single corner in every single room is immaculate.

How did this happen? When did I lose sight of IT and what is truly important? How could I forget what I have? Where did IT go today?

IT is my beautiful girls who seem to grow years in a span of minutes.

IT being my patient and funny husband who always goes along with all my craziness.

IT is my beautiful mom and amazing dad who sacrificed much of their own lives when they were in their 20s to raise me and my sisters and make sure we could have this life. My amazing sisters who are my best friends and love me just for being me; my awesome brother-in-laws who understand what it means to belong to a crazy-Italian-no-boundaries family and seem to love it. And my kind in-laws who open their hearts up to all of us and bless my girls with their stories and passion for life. My compassionate and kind Aunt who while fighting for her life on a daily basis never asks for anything and just smiles when she is around all of us, and cracks un-nun like jokes.

IT is my most precious nieces and nephews who hug and kiss and love the adults in their world despite our misgivings. And my girlfriends who make me laugh and cry and are always there for me.

As I sat there thinking how amazingly grateful I was for all of this, and how very tired I was from running around like a loony bin all night and morning, I saw the most BEAUTIFUL sight…

My 9 year old spinning around in the kitchen and showing her father her Thanksgiving dress and how pretty it looked when she twirled.

All the last-minute cooking, baking, cleaning, organizing hiding everything in sight, and yelling means nothing I realized.

It’s the twirling of the blue dress.

The hugs when I come home from work.

The unconditional love my tween daughters give me despite the eye rolling.

The mischievous sparkle in my nephew’s eyes.

The laughter when cousins come together.

The wine opening upon my sisters’ arrival.

The joy in my parents’ eyes when we are all together.

That’s IT.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the moms out there who try so very hard to make every holiday the perfect one. To the ones who spend hours cleaning and doing laundry at midnight to make sure their child has the right pants or shirt or socks they absolutely have to wear to school the next day.

To the moms who spend hours and hours pouring over menus and then even more hours cooking for the holiday only to have your daughter eat A. SINGLE. ROLL.

To the ones who stress and yell and never sit down.

I see you and are with you mama.

Don’t forget to take a minute to catch your breath, and look around you before you spend another minute trying to get all the lumps out of the mashed potatoes.

XOXO