Do you have a “bad-ass blessing”? What do I mean by that? Do you have one 
thing in your life that you truly feel blessed to have—it could be a person, a talent, a job, a church, a belief? This BA Blessing is not perfect, but in its perfectly imperfect state, you recognize that it is a gift. We all have at least one BA blessing. Some of us may be lucky and have tons of them, but is there one that remains constant—one that rises to the top? If so, then this letter is encouraging you to focus on it in 2018.
For me, my perfectly imperfect BA blessing is my husband. He definitely is not perfect (it’s imperative I point that out in case he reads this! ☺), but if I look at the last 20 years married to him and the other 10 knowing him, our relationship is the reason that when I go to bed—when I’m not debating smothering him with a pillow ?)—I am smiling. When I take the time to recognize that he is a blessing, I then also see many blessings that have come about because of him—first and foremost, my children, and then smaller blessings, like my love of surfing and my ability to laugh when I want to cry.
If I look at my sister Laurajean, perhaps I would say her blessing is her ability to be an amazing mother to four unique children. If I were to look at my friend, her blessing may be her ability to be an amazing balls-to-the-wall friend. Seriously, she is always there in every sense of the word. I have another friend whose creativity knows no bounds; that’s her blessing. If she focused on it, she would be the biggest clothing designer in the world! And then there’s my friend Marie—her blessing is her absolute faith in God. That faith drives her to such tremendous service to others! No matter who you are, we all have one true blessing or gift in our life. There is no better time to identify that blessing and truly focus on it than now as we start off 2018.
Being blessed is one thing, but recognizing your blessings is another. So, I ask that you take a few moments before delving into this latest issue, chock full of interesting, informative articles, and write about or meditate on just what your blessings are. Does one particular blessing rise to the top? Are you really good at yoga or giving advice or art or being a mom? If so, why not make this month the “love” month and give some extra love and energy toward that talent or person or your faith, or whatever it is you are blessed with. Spend your time focusing on your blessing, and nurture it, share it with others, and let this blessing lighten your load and guide you through an amazing year!
Let this year be the year we all focus on the good in our lives in the hope that it drowns out the bad.
Malama Pono,
Kelly Martinsen, Publisher
Natural Awakenings Magazine Long Island
