Thanksgiving

It is Thanksgiving again.  I woke up around 4:30 and made me a cup of coffee and read the online news.  The Lovely Sharon is still asleep and, except for my desk, the house is dark and quiet.  I like this time of day.  It gives me time to catch up on overnight national and world events, to plan my day and to think about life.  Today I am thinking about Thanksgiving, what it really means to me.  

Thanksgiving is a time to spend a week or so with the Lovely Sharon.  Golfing, shopping, doing things together and not doing anything but not doing them together.

According to the Bud calendar, Thanksgiving is the end of autumn.  I think of the summer fun I had.  I think out how fast the last year has gone by.  I think of how many leaves I have raked in the last few months and how many are still on the ground waiting to be covered with snow.

Throughout the year I try to be mindful of and reflect on my good fortune to have the family and friends that I have. Friends who are happy to see me after months apart.  Friends who want to help me and who I want to help.  Friends who you can discuss politics with and still be friends.   Each year through the realities of life our friends and family members face illness and death.  We never know who might be next. I have lost a few friends to deaths this last year.  Tragedies and illness have taken them.   I miss them.  I think about them.  I have friends that face uncertain futures due to illness.  I worry for them.

I am Thankful to be an American.

I am Thankful for my son Alex.  I am Thankful for my parents.  I am Thankful for my sister Tanya and her wonderful husband Scott and their lovely daughters, my nieces.  I am Thankful for my stepsons Shawn and Nick and for Nick’s beautiful and special wife Allie.  I am Thankful that Nick and Allie consider me to be one of the Grandpa’s of their children.

I am Thankful that I am relatively healthy.

I am Thankful that I am still excited about life and the things around me.  I am Thankful that seeing a bird or deer or the autumn leaves still excite me.  I am Thankful that I still want to learn about life, history, current events and the things around me. 

I am Thankful to be married to the Lovely Sharon.  She drives me crazy some of the time and I know I drive her crazy all of the time, but when I am eating Thanksgiving dinner today with dear friends Ray and Kay, I know I will have a tear in my eye as I give Thanks to life with her.

To all my friends, I truly am Thankful for you.