For the past 8 years or so I have watched as my dad prays over the Thanksgiving meal. Tears well in his eyes as he blesses the food, giving thanks for another year and for the friends and family present. As the years pass by, we remember the ones who use to be with us, while we celebrate the love and the life we have with new friends and new additions to the family. The holidays are a bittersweet time.
I love Thanksgiving. I love that it's a day of eating (one of my favorite activities), a day of fellowship, a day of simply enjoying each other. But my favorite part is before we actually start eating the food that we spent hours preparing. I love the part where we gather in a circle and share what we are each thankful for that year. By the end of the sharing, no eye is ever dry.
This year I am thankful for my family. For their joy and compassion, for their kindness and generosity. I am thankful for my friends. For the laughter and the smiles, the fun and for sharing life together. I am thankful for my job. For the honor of helping those who are in so much need as they try to rebuild, reshape and renew their lives in the face of stigma and illness. I am thankful for Nate and for his unwavering loyalty, for his support and love, for his always gently pushing me to be the woman he knows I am meant to be.
There are so many reasons to give thanks. I am glad that we have a holiday that reminds us to pause and to reflect upon those people and things for which we are grateful. May the thanks giving continue in our day to day lives.
