Since that early morning hour, I have managed to speed thaw the turkey, cook the giblets, make the stuffing, stuff the bird, get the turkey in the oven, scrub the potatoes, prepare the carrots, get the green bean hot dish ready to pop into the oven, and I even got in a shower. I fed the rabbit, two dogs, fish and bird, and I have had a couple cups of coffee. I am now contemplating my usual Thanksgiving day activity, finishing up the Christmas cards. Of course, I'm a little behind this year. I think I have them. Somewhere.
Thanksgiving Day is one of my favorite days of the year. It is relaxing and relaxed. Easy going and just for family. It is punctuated with good food and a favorite old movie of choice, and it is our family seasonal kick off for Christmas. So why, I wonder, does it always sneak up on me like that proverbial thief in the night?
My mother spends all fall cleaning her house, getting prepared for the holiday season. Everything is spic and span, with curtains washed and freshly hung, the walls wiped down, the bedrooms thoroughly cleaned. All is in readiness for her Christmas decorating extravaganza.
So far, my fall cleaning has consisted of... well... I haven't cleaned. I make the excuse that I am so busy I don't have time, but I think really it's more a matter of lack of will. Turkey Day arrives, clean house or not, and I would rather not be all stressed out getting there. Although it would be nice to have a clean house for a change.
It is nice to have a day in the fall right before the Acquisition Holiday to focus on gratitude for what we already have before we worry about getting more. The most important things to me have no monetary value. They cannot be quantified, and the quality is intrinsic, not extrinsic. Everyone has their own list of things they are thankful for, but here are some of mine:
- I am thankful for my family, and my family of choice. My children, mother, brother, sister-in-law, nieces, nephew, aunts, uncles, cousins and other extended family and very special friends are the glue that binds me to this life, and I am grateful each and every day for the people who share my life, come heck or high water.
- I am thankful for my pets. The other living creatures in my life bring me a great deal of unconditional love, and they are never too busy to curl up with me or to listen to my problems. They don't talk back, they ask for nothing, and they enjoy life's simple pleasures with me.
- I am thankful to have a home and a roof over my head. Today there are millions of people in the world with no small space to call their own. I give thanks to God for the opportunity to lay my head on the same pillow each night. He works in mysterious ways, but my needs are filled through his grace.
- I am thankful for the opportunities my children have to seek higher education. Exercising the brain is one of life's greatest pleasures. I am thrilled they are both pursuing their educational passions, and pray that their lives will be fulfilling.
- I am grateful beyond measure to have a job in today's economy, and clients who care about more than just the bottom line. When they are concerned for their own well-being, that makes my job easier and more fulfilling.
- I am thankful to live in the United States of America. Billions of people were born into poverty across the planet. How did I get so fortunate to be born in the right time and place?
- I am grateful to have food on my table today. I had a turkey in the freezer just waiting for the right time to bake it. I have potatoes and carrots from my mother's garden, grown by her own hard work and loving effort. I have pudding in the cupboard, cranberry sauce cooling on the stove, and green bean casserole all ready to pop into the oven at the right moment. We can feast for another day (or three) and for this, I am truly thankful.
- I am grateful to have an outlet for my writing passion, and the opportunity to share my thoughts and words with my readers. I am grateful for the encouragement and the occasional shove from y'all when I balk at taking it a step further. If I ever publish a book, rest assured, it will be dedicated to the readers who have encouraged me from the start.
- Most of all, I am filled with thanksgiving for the God who loved me enough to send his very own Son to pay the consequences for all my missteps and poor choices in life. Without that grace, my life would be useless indeed.
Happy Turkey Day to my faithful readers. I wish you a day of peace, joy, good football and just enough pumpkin pie to fill you to the brim!
