Create Some New Traditions This Thanksgiving

Several months ago I was enraptured by Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch who, after having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, decided to give his last lecture titled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” Standing in front of slides of his CT scans Professor Pausch revealed to the audience that this devastating disease would ultimately claim his life in a matter of months. Yet what was so poignant and what captured both mine as well as six million plus people who have viewed this lecture online is, rather than focusing on the morbidity of his situation, he inspired us to live every day as if it were a gift, to recognize that small accomplishments should carry as much weight as the big ones and to take nothing for granted- especially time.

Why am I bringing this up now when Thanksgiving is right upon us? It seems incredibly fitting that this year instead of lamenting about my feeble attempts to cook a Thanksgiving feast that will probably yield nothing other than dried-up turkey and undercooked string beans (if you read this column- you’ll know my cooking leaves much to be desired) or the fact that I might have to spend face-time with relatives whose idiosyncrasies might drive me to polish off half a bottle of Captain Morgan’s rum, I’ll stop myself and glean some inspiration from Professor Pasuch.  I’ll also make sure to overlook the apple juice sippy cups which will be strewn all over my hardwood floors, and the loads of dishes piled up high in the sink. Instead I’ll smile, breathe it all in and remember that that each day on this planet is itself a blessing for which we should give thanks.

Melissa Chapman and her brood of three live in the urban concrete jungle of NYC. When she’s not busy putting someone in a  time-out, stepping on action figures, hand-feeding her dog/child  or braiding hair she’s trying to find indulgences and adventures that remind her of her pre-kid days when she felt sexy, didn’t need to wade through mountains of laundry and no one ever called her ma’am! She contributes to Time Out NY Kids, iVillage, She Knows and Real Moms Guide, writes a blog for WCBS-TV and a weekly column for the Staten Island Advance, called Kids in the City.

Visit Melissa's column at: http://www.silive.com/columnists/kidsinthecity