A Year of Gratitude: Finding Light in Every Season
As Thanksgiving approaches, I’ve been reflecting on the past year. A year filled with change, growth, unexpected challenges, and moments that reminded me just how deeply God’s grace shows up in our everyday lives.
It wasn’t a perfect year, but it was a meaningful one.
And through it all, gratitude has been my anchor.
Gratitude for the people I love.
Gratitude for the places that healed me.
Gratitude for the lessons I didn’t expect.
And gratitude for the community that continues to walk beside me, including you. Thank you
As I share my reflections and the gratitude lessons this year taught me, I hope you’ll find pieces that speak to your own journey, too.
A Glimpse Into My Year
This year brought blessings and heartbreak. Sometimes woven together in the same week. But it also brought clarity, purpose, and a deeper appreciation for what truly matters.
Gratitude for Life, Health, and Healing
Early in the year, my brother suffered a stroke. Something our family never saw coming.
It was one of those moments that instantly shifts your world.
But God is faithful.
His healing has been incredible.
He still faces some challenges he never imagined, but we are profoundly grateful he’s still here, still fighting, still himself.
His journey has reminded me to never take health or hope for granted.
Gratitude for Family
This year brought big transitions for my kids, and with each one, my heart stretched in a new way.
My oldest moved to New York City, and she is thriving.
My youngest graduated from high school and joined her brother at FSU, who is now officially in the Sport Management program.
My husband stepped into a new chapter as a solo practitioner, giving us more flexibility, more presence, and more of the life we’ve dreamed about.
And as our home shifted from full to quiet, I found myself embracing the beginnings of empty nesting with both nostalgia and gratitude.
I’m grateful for my siblings. The people who have known me the longest and continue to be a steady part of my life through every season.
I’m grateful for my mother, who is 83 and continues to inspire me with her strength, her wisdom, and her unwavering love.
And I’m grateful for my mother-in-law, who celebrated her 90th birthday this year. A milestone filled with stories, lessons, and a legacy our family deeply treasures.
I’m also grateful for the time spent with our extended family this year. In big gatherings, small moments, and everything in between. Those are the memories I treasure most.
Family will always be my greatest blessing.
Gratitude for Friendships That Stay Steady
This year reminded me how priceless true friendships are. The steady ones, the safe ones, the friends who show up in every season.
Friends who pray with you.
Friends who listen without judgment.
Friends who celebrate your wins and sit with you in the losses.
Friends who’ve watched your life evolve and love you even more because of it.
I am deeply grateful for the friendships that anchored me this year. Their presence has been a gift.
Gratitude for Loved Ones We Lost
We said goodbye to two special family members this year:
My father-in-law: A man who shaped my husband into the incredible human he is today. We are grateful for his wisdom, his example, and the legacy he left in our family.
My Aunt Miriam: Her love for travel planted seeds in me long before I realized how much they would grow. She will forever be part of every adventure I take.
Their absence is felt… but so is the love they left behind.
Gratitude for My Sweet Nina
And separately, because pets deserve their own paragraph. We lost our goldendoodle, Nina, this summer.
She wasn’t “just a dog.”
She was joy.
She was comfort.
She was family.
Losing her was heartbreaking, but I’m grateful for the years we had with her and the unconditional love she brought into our home.
Gratitude for Adventure and New Places
This year, travel continued to be one of my greatest teachers.
My husband and I explored Portugal and Madeira in March.
We spent two unforgettable weeks road-tripping through the Southwest over the summer.
And in August, we walked the last 147 km of the Camino de Santiago with our first couples’ group — a transformative experience for everyone involved.
Travel reminds me that life is bigger, deeper, and more beautiful than the routines we fall into.
Lessons on Gratitude That Changed Me This Year
Here are the truths gratitude taught me, and I hope they touch your heart the way they touched mine:
1. Gratitude doesn’t cancel the hard moments. It helps you make sense of them.
2. Small moments matter just as much as big ones.
3. Change is uncomfortable, but it always brings growth.
4. The love of those we’ve lost continues shaping us.
5. Gratitude steadies us when life feels uncertain.
6. Joy and pain can coexist, and that’s okay.
7. Gratitude keeps us grounded in the present moment.
8. Gratitude multiplies when you give it away.
These lessons have carried me through this year, and I hope they encourage you in your own season, too.
Gratitude for You
I want to take a moment to say this clearly and sincerely:
I am grateful for you.
For your support.
For your messages.
For your encouragement.
For showing up, sharing, reading, trusting, and walking this journey with me.
Your presence in this community means more than you know.
As We Head Into Thanksgiving…
I’ll be taking this week off social media to spend time with my family and soak in the moments that matter most.
But before I disconnect, I want to wish you a heartfelt:
Happy Thanksgiving. 🧡
May your home be filled with warmth, peace, and the people who make life beautiful.
And next week…
I have something fun and exciting to share — I can’t wait to tell you more. 🤍
Thank you for being here. Thank you for being part of my story. And thank you for letting me be part of yours.
ESBENIA OVERBECK
Adventure Travel Coach | Content Creator
🌍 Helping women step outside their comfort zone to find clarity & adventure
📧 esbenia@gratefulforliving.com | 🌐 gratefulforliving.com
📸 Instagram: @grateful4living_lifecoach