Monday, November 14, 2011

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. Great reason to look back ot the things to be thankful for. Here are some of my favorite reasons.

1. Family:




Where or who would we be without them? They are our foundations, our roots. They love us at our best and even more important at our worst. Family is the crutch of humanity.



My daughter Martha, her Husband Jimmy, her Daughter Jessica, and her Mother-in-Law Anita. May of this year was seven years since Martha had her stroke. She copes with her situation daily and I know she gets very frustrated at times, especially not being able to talk. I think about it all the time and can't even imagine what it must be like to have all the things you want to say to people and not be able to. One thing she can say clearly is I Love You and she always lets her old Dad hear those words all the time.



Jimmy, Jessica, and Anita are always there for her. Most of the time she is happy and smiling but when she is not happy they are the ones because they love her so much are patient with her and take great care of her. She does truly love them all and when she gets mad at them it doesn't last long.



My Wife Joan. November 10 TH we celebrated being married ten years. Martha's stroke and Janet's tragic death on Christmas Eve, 2002 have been huge obstacles to over come and I am so thankful to God that we had each other to help each other through those trying times. Of course there has been some other bumps in the road as there is in every ones lives. But over all it has been an incredible 10 years. I was going to do my BLOG about our ten years together but soon realized if I tried to do that it would be the longest BLOG ever. LOL I am going to do a booklet of our time together for her Grandsons to read later on down the road. I have only put together my notes for the first 4 years so far and am having such fun doing it. I want to cover the first ten years of our marriage and I hope to add a lot more years to it later.



Barb and Brett, Christopher, Carter, & Griffin, so many great times and memories I am going to write about also.



Friends:



Friends are the family we get to choose for ourselves. Just like our families they love us even with our imperfections. They see the best in us when we don't. They show up when we need them even though they don't have to. They celebrate our accomplishments with us. They make us laugh when we are sad. They some times even make us cry, but most of the time they are tears of joy. They're just there, and most of the time, that's all we need them to do.



I tell people all the time although I am an only child I have more brothers and sisters than any one I know. Thank God for all of them.



Children:



I can't imagine a world with out Grand Children. They are a constant reminder of what is most beautiful about the world. There have been times when I was having a bad day, but a smile, a laugh, a hug, or I love you Papa, makes me forget what ever may have been bothering me. Grandchildren see the world without distorted lenses, they are so innocent. We should always make time to spend with children. I have found that I need them as much or more than they need me.



Kindness:



One of my favorite quotes is " No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted ". Being kind is one of the purest donations a person can make. You never know when an act of kindness can make such a difference in a persons life.



Mistakes:



Now before you say how can mistakes be some thing to be thankful for, consider this, they are necessary to bring us to a point in life where we want to be. There are not many ways in life that have the ability to change us the way a mistake does. If you learn from your mistakes it can be a positive thing.



Health:



Good health is one of those things we take for granted until we don't have it any more. If you have the ability to walk, talk, sing, and laugh, just remember the people who want to but can't.



Today:



Today is never guaranteed to us, so if we get it we should be happy about it. Think of all the people young and old that you have loved that didn't make it until to day. Those of us that did make it to today should think how lucky we are and treat it as such.



As I have reached the age of 71 and have been doing a review of my life I realize just how lucky I have been. Of course there were many times when I didn't think that way, but this is where hindsight is a good thing. I just keep thinking of reasons I should be thankful but I will end this with this thought.



Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the special and wonderful people who have entered our lives and make each day more beautiful and meaningful. I hope you have many reasons to be thankful not just on Thanksgiving but every day.



My Thanksgiving prayer for you " The God of love and peace be with you " 2 Corinthians 13:11. God Bless you on Thanksgiving and always.