Nov 27 2008
Thanksgiving 2008
I’m sure most of you know the story of the ‘first Thanksgiving”, as most of the world does. In reality, while the pilgrims and the indians shared a meal together, that wasn’t the first Thanksgiving. It was an age old tradition to eat a meal that celebrated the bountiful harvest that preceeded the season. It was the first recorded meal that was shared by the Plymouth Colonists and the Wampanoag Indians, it was a meal that had enormous amounts of food, and it was a meal of Thanks. While I cannot say that I am thankful for our bountiful crop or harvest this year, there are things that I am thankful for. Today, as my family will sit around the table, mouths watering, we will all share what we are thankful for this year. I’m sure there will be interesting answers, as this year, it is the first Thanksgiving without Daddy. There will be family members at my house that have not shared a holiday with us since th 80’s. It has been a roller coaster year for my family, but there are things to be thankful for. You get a preview of what my family will get later on.
I am Thankful that I have my family. In the last few years, I have truly learned that there is nothing- nothing- in this world that is more important than family. Without my family, I would be lost.
I am Thankful for my friends. Perhaps this should be under the ‘family’ category. You see, my friends…my real friends, they are part of my family. They are the family you get to choose. These are the people that have sat by my side when the going got rough. They did not run away, they did not turn their backs. There may have been times when they didn’t know what to do….like when Daddy died….one of my friends didn’t know what to do for me or my family, so she went to the coffee shop and ordered one of everything and brought it to the house, and you know, that was the perfect thing to do. Another friend got on a plane and flew here just to be here if I needed him. He had to sleep on an air mattress, and he got very little time from any of us- but he came knowing that would be the case. These are the people that I can count on. I am so thankful for them.
I am Thankful for my job. I don’t always love getting up early and going into work….but I love my job. I am thankful that they are understanding. I am thankful that the people I work with are supporting. I am thankful to have a paycheck.
I am Thankful for my health. I know that this may seem cheesy to say, but I am truly thankful. This year, I had a cancer scare, and in my mind, it was the worst kind that I could have gotten. No one wants to have cancer, but if I could have chosen, I would not have chosen this kind. My Doctors thought there was a good possibility that I had ovarian cancer. They did surgery to remove anything they had to- including everything. This was devastating to me….as I am 27 years old and want nothing more out of my life than to be a mommy. Literally. I was spared by the grace of God, and here I am. For that, I am truly thankful.
I am Thankful for Brent and his family. His family has been very supportive through everything we have been through. They have come to us when we needed them but were to proud to ask. They were Daddy’s friends, and while some stayed away, they came to see him just hours before he died. They have helped with things that others would not think to do. And his nieces- who are too young to know it yet- have kept me going. They have brought me joy that others cannot understand. And Brent….without him, I don’t know where I would be. He has been my comfort, my love and my best friend. He is my everything.
Yes, this year, I am still thankful.
