We continue to have quite an exciting and busy Thanksgiving week. Dina, arrived last Saturday with her three children: Rylie (age 11), Ana (age 9), and Rhett (age 3). Their cousins, who live in Austin, joined them for our early Thanksgiving dinner as well as for most activities during the week. Dina and the children will fly home on Thanksgiving Day.
At our early Thanksgiving meal last Sunday, we fed 27 people plus Baby Daisy who, at six months, proudly sat in a highchair to join our family and friends. The day before we had our big meal, I found myself surrounded by children. I thought, “This is what Thanksgiving means. Children asking questions, wanting snacks, and suggesting fun ideas.” I also felt grateful that I could do this big dinner. “I’m on it. I can still do this.”
How many more years will Chris and I be up to this task of feeding 27 people we love? We can’t know, can we? For that reason, gratitude increases exponentially. Every day, every occasion, and every moment intensifies appreciation. No time can be wasted on feeling upset by the many things that no longer seem possible. For example, wishful thinking believes that my knee will get better next year and I’ll be able to . . . Truth redefines that wishful thought with the reality that walking better may not be likely to happen.
So, on the day before Thanksgiving, I reflect on sweet cousins around the state and friends across the nation. I give thanks to grandchildren with good manners and growing strengths related to values. I am thankful for our grown children, the parents of these grandchildren, who have not only taught but have modeled living with integrity. Chris and I enjoy good health, we live well and we love one another. At night, when I crawl into bed with my best friend, I remember that many people sleep on the streets without the comfort of homes or decent bedding. Yes, I have many reasons to give thanks.