Post Thanksgiving Gratitude

Our younger son drove home from college earlier this week with the flu. Five hours alone in the car with fever, chills, body aches, he drove directly to the doctor, then home and into bed. He spent two days in his room letting Tamiflu do its thing, and felt significantly better Wednesday evening. 

To be safe, he opted to stay in his room on Thanksgiving for six hours so his 101-year-old great aunt could enjoy a meal with the family. We brought plates of food to him throughout the day and he ate alone, with his bedroom door open so he could hear the dinner conversation downstairs. 

Our older son will be turning twenty-three in a few days, so his grandmothers brought him a birthday cake. Great Aunt Virginia gave a special solo performance of the Happy Birthday song that nearly brought him to tears. 

This is 101, singing

When everyone left last night and the house was quiet, my husband and I joined the boys in the den to watch Ted Lasso, which we’ve all seen except for the one who had stayed in his room. We didn’t mind. We missed spending the day with him. And it’s a series worth watching again.

As I write this, the memories still fresh, I am filled with gratitude for so much in my life. For our sons, who consistently demonstrate kindness and compassion, for our parents, who we’re so lucky to still have, for family members who share our holidays and special memories, for Aunt Virginia, who is still singing, for our friends who reached out throughout the day, and for my husband, the perfect host partner and my best friend. 

I hope you all had a Thanksgiving filled with good memories, love, family, and friendship. 

Thank You

Hello Friends,

dogone.com

Thanksgiving is upon us and I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude. Thank you everyone, for sticking with me for two years, for your loyalty and wonderful comments.

I count my blessings every day and now, with the recent tragedies, I hold them close to my heart.

The world can seem like a scary place at times. There is much we cannot control. What we can do is appreciate what we have, spread love and goodwill (it’s so easy really) and not let fear keep us from realizing our dreams.

So, tomorrow as you find your way home, if even only in your hearts, I hope you enjoy the riches on your table, conversation with loved ones, cherished memories of those who have departed, and quiet reflection of  all that it  means to be American.

I’d like to express my condolences to the people of Paris during this difficult time. Paris is my favorite city outside of my own. I’ve walked the cobblestone streets of Montmartre and listened to the french children play in the schoolyard under the shadow of the magnificent Sacre Coeur in my mind over and over. Regardless of what has happened, I will return again to sit at the cafes and soak in her charm.

I wish you all a safe, happy Thanksgiving. See you in December.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. — John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Giving Thanks II

Hello Friends,

It’s Thanksgiving again. Went quick, didn’t it? Feels like only yesterday, I wrote my first Giving Thanks post. And here we are, at the end of another year, the beginning of another hectic holiday season and the perfect time to extend my gratitude for your continued support. Thank you.

For those of us with much to be thankful for, there is a whole day devoted to appreciating what we have. One whole day.  So, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I will push aside the nagging thought that there are only 4 Fridays before Christmas, turn off the news and turn on the NYC Macy’s Day Parade. I will embrace the time I have with my family, remember, with love, those who are no longer with us,  and count my blessings for the friends in my life and the abundant food on the table – even the brussel sprouts in that sauce. Why pray-tell is that always served?

Ehem.

There will be plenty of time for the craziness. Beginning on Friday.

I’ll leave you with a prayer of thanks, borrowed from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.”

Happy Thanksgiving.

 

Giving Thanks

Hello Friends,

I had a post all prepared: a few paragraphs talking about all the stuff I’m thankful for this year. It was nice.

I re-read it this morning, and decided not to share it with you.

Why, praytell, would you be interested in what I’m thankful for? Aren’t we all thankful for one thing or another? Do you need to hear how I am grateful for my loved ones, our health, food, shelter, chocolate?? How is this different from anyone else?  

Instead, I decided to share one thought that I feel is important to say. And this is it:

I am thankful to all of you, for reading, following, and taking time to comment on my blog.  I am truly filled with gratitude for your support.

I should take more time from my busy schedule to appreciate what others do, and embrace the abundant joys in my life.  I don’t do it enough, and I certainly shouldn’t wait until the end of each year to recognize all of the gifts in my life. But let’s face it, time flies by and before we know it, here we are, heading into winter (unless you’re in Australia, in which case, you’re getting warmer, but since I have no followers (yet) down under, this doesn’t really pertain), and I’ve let another ten or so months pass by without so much as a beholden note.

I’ll work on that. Maybe we should all work on it. Would be a nicer place to live, wouldn’t it?

We’re going to get busier in the next month, and I will be writing here in December, but I’ll wish you a nice holiday season now – before the craziness sets in. I wish you stress-free, healthy, love and goodwill-filled days, maybe some snow,  some quality family time. Isn’t that what it’s about, after all?

As you run around, shopping, cleaning, and cooking, just remember: it will all get done. Don’t worry. Have an eggnog. Sing a carol.  Light a menorah. Watch a Peanuts special. Enjoy it. The years are fleeting, my friends.

Let’s keep that in mind as we head into the season.

And let’s be thankful.

I am.

Happy Thanksgiving