gratitude – Melissa Schlies

A (Mostly) Unexpected Christmas Bucket List

One of my favorite Christmas memories from growing up, is of my dad taking our family into Boston. He wanted to introduce my sisters and I to one of his favorite memories as a kid: seeing The Enchanted Village at the now former department store, Jordan Marsh. A small mechanical village with over 250 animated figurines, The Enchanted Village, takes you back to a Norman Rockwell version of Christmas. Created originally in 1958, it can still be visited each holiday season at a large furniture store in Massachusetts. Only, at fourteen, I probably didn’t appreciate it as much as [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-12-12T20:56:03+00:00December 13th, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Adulting, Christmas, gratitude, Habit Making, Holidays, Hope|2 Comments

Sometimes, Gratitude Isn’t Enough

Halloween is over. Somehow it’s already November. In a few weeks we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving with loved ones. And if our festivities aren’t too chaotic, there will be a moment when we’ll reflect on what we’re thankful for this year. Individually or collectively, we’ll practice gratitude. For some of us, this activity will feel like vanilla ice cream on an already delicious slice of apple pie. But for others of us, gratitude will feel like the taste of your aunt’s over baked sweet potato casserole with charred marshmallows on top. You know it’s supposed to be sweet, but all you [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-10-31T23:31:51+00:00November 1st, 2021|Categories: Contentment, Depression, gratitude, grief, Health, Hope, Mental Health, Self Care|Comments Off

On Turning Forty, Making Bucket Lists, & Redefining What Matters

Do not resent growing old, many are denied the privilege —Irish Proverb When you were eighteen, who did you think you’d be at the age you are now? Looking back at myself at that time, I could see who I’d be in college. I could see myself at twenty-five. But I couldn’t see beyond that. I certainly couldn’t see myself today. I had this I idea that I should create a 40 Before 40 Bucket List. This week, I’m getting ready for my second pandemic birthday, and it’s a big one. I’m turning forty. And at some point a few [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-03-19T23:53:25+00:00March 22nd, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Adulting, gratitude, Hope, Travel|2 Comments

Looking Back: What I Learned in 2020

For all of us, 2020 will go down as the year of COVID. Memories of people stocking up on toilet paper, empty shelves at the grocery store, and masks becoming a regular necessity, are now forever a part of our story. The pandemic has been the overarching atmosphere in which we’ve seen people band together and fall a part over issues such as racism, health care, politics, conspiracy theories, and even restrictions over COVID itself. The pandemic has been the overarching atmosphere in which we’ve seen people band together and fall a part... Yet in the midst of all the [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-12-23T18:18:18+00:00December 28th, 2020|Categories: Acceptance, Change, Character, gratitude, Learn, perseverance, Social Distancing|Comments Off

2020 Christmas Gift Guide

One December Saturday, when I was in ninth or tenth grade, my parents decided to take me and my sisters into Boston. Having both grown up just outside the city, they wanted to share a part of their childhood holiday experience with us. It’s still one of my favorite Christmas memories. Just as the sun began to fade that afternoon, we watched the Christmas lights begin to color the city streets. That day, we saw The Enchanted Village, found a place for lunch with the biggest slices of pizza I’d ever seen, and window shopped through downtown Boston, admiring all [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-11-23T19:03:36+00:00November 30th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Good Books, gratitude, Holidays|Comments Off

Practicing Gratitude In The Midst Of What Can’t Be

There are times in life when we get to be deliriously happy. As a kid, for me, this looked like our Grampa spontaneously taking us out for ice cream. Waking up to our mom baking blueberry muffins. And running down the beach with our cousins. For some reason, it doesn’t take much to experience complete joy as a kid. It doesn’t take much to experience complete joy as a kid. Though as adults, we too, have our own spectacular moments. For me, this happiness has looked like riding a train through the country side of India. The night Tony told [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-11-20T20:02:40+00:00November 23rd, 2020|Categories: Acceptance, Balance, Conflict, Faith, gratitude, grief, Holidays, Hope, Social Distancing|Comments Off

My Favorite Thanksgiving Links 2020

I know, I know—I said last week, that there’d be no more Thursday posts. But as we’re all getting ready for a tougher-than-most holiday season, I thought I’d share an updated list of all my favorite Thanksgiving Links to get us through this week! As I have shared before, hands down, fall is my favorite season. Give me the chunky sweaters, all the flannel, the apple picking, and the pumpkin flavored (almost) anything—I am here for it. Though many people think Halloween is the best fall holiday, Thanksgiving is my favorite. But this holiday that also typically offers an extra [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-11-19T20:17:24+00:00November 19th, 2020|Categories: Food, gratitude, Habit Making, Holidays, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead|Comments Off

On Turning Four, and Celebrating Small Wins

Last Friday, melissaschlies.com quietly turned four. I hadn’t planned on mentioning it. After all, who celebrates four years? Typically, anniversaries are commemorated in fives. Not only that, but I thought I’d be further along in my writing journey by now. When I hit “publish,” on my first post, I had big dreams. Mostly of writing books. But also of creating a space on the internet to help others grow, find hope, and also, pursue their purpose. And, to some extent, I do feel we’re beginning to do that last part. Only sometimes, when we have big goals, it makes it [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-09-30T22:32:02+00:00October 5th, 2020|Categories: Courage, Creativity, gratitude, Hope, perseverance, Success|Comments Off

When Everything Felt Empty, He Whispered, “This is What I’m Like”

Taking a break from our normal routine to share a few stories from trips we’ve taken—for all of us missing our usual vacations. The first time we went to the Finger Lakes in New York, they were having a drought. Tony is a gifted landscape photographer, and planned to shoot the dramatic Taughannock Falls. Only when we got there, it was only a trickle. The waterfall looked like a leaky faucet. It had all but dried up. The sight of water dripping down the side of the rock face is deeply embedded in my memory. At the time, it felt [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-08-31T15:59:56+00:00September 7th, 2020|Categories: Faith, Fear, gratitude, Hope, Identity, Travel|Comments Off

Can We Even Celebrate At a Time Like This?

Last week, I got a text from my dad. When I went to open it, I discovered he had held his phone up to his answering machine and video taped the message his doctor had left that afternoon. Earlier that day, my dad had an MRI, and his doctor had called to give him the results: No further growth. At this time, the tumors in my dad’s brain aren’t showing any growth since his previous MRI. The treatment is working. And as a family, we can all take a deep breath. Soon after listening to his text, I called my [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-05-10T14:58:08+00:00May 11th, 2020|Categories: Fear, gratitude, grief, Hope, perseverance, Social Distancing|Comments Off

A (Mostly) Unexpected Christmas Bucket List

Sometimes, Gratitude Isn’t Enough

On Turning Forty, Making Bucket Lists, & Redefining What Matters

2020 Christmas Gift Guide

My Favorite Thanksgiving Links 2020

On Turning Four, and Celebrating Small Wins

When Everything Felt Empty, He Whispered, “This is What I’m Like”

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