LET US BE THANKFUL AS WE CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING - PART ONE

 

November 28, 2019

Dear Readers:

As I looked back at my posts, I am amazed to find that I have been doing this blog since December 2010.  Now that I am retired, I find myself thinking about what has happened in my life and being thankful, quite frankly, that I have made it this far. 

Do you remember as a child thinking about what your life would be like when you were all grown up?  Did it happen?  For me, some of it did.  Like flying in a police helicopter, and scuba diving in Crystal Springs, Florida and seeing a manatee up close and personal.  Two memories that when I close my eyes I can see it all happening again, and two memories I will never forget.  

So again this year, my family will sit around the Thanksgiving table.  Thankful for the good food, good friends, and loving family.  What I wish for everyone, large and small, is that you have a warm, wonderful, and blessed. Thanksgiving. 
   

November 22, 2018

Dear Readers:

Am I the only one who thinks time is going faster?   Did I not write last year's message only a month ago?  Seems that way.  

I am both thankful and sad about this year's passing.  Sad because we lost a beloved family member, and thankful for all of the wonderful memories of my husband's mother.  She was truly an angel on earth.  She would always carry in her purse a plain unmarked white envelope with $50 cash.  If she was out and about in her small town in West Virginia, and heard about some employee in a town business that was having a particularly rough time of it, she would write their name on the envelope, go to the manager of the business and ask that the envelope be given to the employee, and then she would leave.  She wasn't by any stretch of the imagination a wealth person, but a deeply religious woman who believed in the Bible, and took to heart the passage of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matt 7:12).  She always remembered her roots, for she had lived through the Depression of the 1920's and WWII. 

So as we sit around the Thanksgiving table, I am going to treasure each and every family member, and be thankful once again for the blessings given to each and every one of us.  

May you all have a peaceful and blessed Thanksgiving.

November  23, 2017

Dear Readers:

For those of you that follow my page, you know that I don't post on Thanksgiving and Christmas, other than this message to all of my readers at Thanksgiving.  It is hard to believe another year has passed and so quickly.  I have much to be thankful for.  For one, I am thankful that I am now a year and a half of being cancer free.  I am determined to live out my 120 year plan.  I am thankful that I was able to retire this year.  I am thankful that my granddaughters are growing into beautiful young ladies.  I am thankful that my grandson married a wonderful young woman this past October.  

Once again as we gather around with family and friends, my wish is that we all have a day in which we can find, for a few moments, peace,  friendship, and love for one another. 

Dear Readers: 

November 23, 2016

Well, one of my favorite holidays has come around - Thanksgiving.  In many respects it is hard to believe that this year has gone so quickly.  Being a political year it has definitely had it ups and downs to put it mildly.   In my 50+ years of being able to vote I don't remember such a contentious election - there are many families and friends that no longer speak to one another because of it.  That is so sad.   If you scroll down and read my November 22, 2011 post, I think that my then 5-year old granddaughter had it right and I quote - “I just had a thought that I want every­one to be OK, not just my fam­ily but every­body.  It makes me sad that peo­ple don’t have things they need and food to eat and I just want them to be OK”.

  

My wish as we sit around our Thanksgiving tables, where ever they may be, that we are reminded to be thankful and forgiving, and that family and friends are important.  I pray that there will be some mended hearts and minds.

November 25, 2015

This year for the first time in about 40 years, I am not preparing Thanksgiving dinner - my oldest daughter is doing the honors in her new home.  You know, getting older definitely has some perks!  This year I am thankful for being an American, and for having had the opportunity to be the best that I could be.  Others may not look at me as being successful or rich, but I have a wonderful family that loves me and I them.  What could be better, or more successful, or richer than that?

November 26, 2014

This is the day before Thanksgiving, and once again I want to share my traditional post from three years ago.  At the time, my granddaughter was only five, and all I can say is that we all need to have a little bit of her sensitive soul when thinking about others and be very thankful for what we have.  

November 24, 2011

Dear Readers:

As I am busily preparing Thanksgiving dinner for the family, my thoughts went back to a post that my daughter wrote yesterday about her daughter.  And I thought rather than do a recipe this week, that I would share with you all what she posted since it is so apropos for this Thanksgiving season. 

Today I am Thankful and reminded to always be so…

Written by Kathryn on November 22, 2011 · 

I never cease to be amazed by my daugh­ter — she is an old soul that has com­pas­sion and empa­thy that is far beyond her 5 years. She has always been that way and it is the most incred­i­ble thing to be around.  Last night as I tucked her into bed she got a very solemn look on her face and her eyes started to well up.  We were laugh­ing just moments before so I asked her what was wrong.  She said to me “I just had a thought” her lip started to trem­ble and a tear spilled out of her eye, I hugged her and asked her what was wrong — think­ing that it was some­thing that scared her.  She said “I just had a thought that I want every­one to be OK, not just my fam­ily but every­body.  It makes me sad that peo­ple don’t have things they need and food to eat and I just want them to be OK”.  At this point we are both cry­ing — and I ask her what she wants to do to help and she told me that she has too many toys and wants to give some away, and she has a lot of jack­ets and wants to give them to other peo­ple so they aren’t cold, and that I buy a lot of food and we should buy extra to give away.

I am sure you have all heard the say­ing “Life is not mea­sured by the num­ber of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away” — this was one of those moments.  I am so thank­ful for this amaz­ing lit­tle per­son that I have been blessed with.  I am so proud of her and so inspired by her and I don’t know what I ever did in life to be so lucky to have her.

She has reminded me that char­ity has no sea­son and that if we can do more and give more we should, every sin­gle day.  We agreed that every sin­gle week we will add a few items to our gro­cery list that can be donated.  I assured her that her crazy coupon mommy could fill a big box in just a few trips;   It is so easy to get caught up in the rat race of day to day life, espe­cially at the Hol­i­days.  I feel like there is so much to do and so lit­tle time — when the truth of the mat­ter is all we really have to do is take care of each other.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!