Today is Thanksgiving Day. Since I write about what I am thankful every day, I had wondered what I could write today that would be different. I thought it would be most appropriate to reflect back on my day and write about ALL the things, big and small, that I give thanks for today.
Today I am thankful for:
** A new day. I volunteered to drive our friends the Foleys to the airport this morning. And by this morning, I mean I was at their house at 5:40am. While it was not my first choice to be up and out of my warm bed that early in the morning, as I was driving home I realized I was witnessing a new day dawning. I had left the house in the dark, and as I was returning home it was becoming light outside. In the quiet of my car I took notice of the simple yet powerful gift of a new day. Each day is truly a gift that we often overlook or take advantage of. I was grateful to have the chance to savor the beginning of this blessing of a day.
** Tradition. As a kid my mom would watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade every year. And every year she would beg my siblings and I to watch with her. We would either pop in and out of the room or complain until we were given permission to leave. You'd better believe watching this parade has now become a must-do in my house. I turned on the television as soon as the parade began and drew all the family in to watch. The parade held everyone's interest for about an hour; then we were all in and out, making food, playing, and getting ready for the rest of our day. But the parade was always on. I love that my family is carrying on a tradition that I didn't necessarily appreciate as a child but that now connects me to my family across the miles that have separated us over the years.
** Excitement and support. One of the performing groups in the parade today was the band and dance team from James Madison University. One of the dance team members is our own former dance friend and babysitter Victoria. I had told the girls yesterday that she would be performing and hopefully we would see her. We ended up watching the performance twice - once live and then rewinding after we found Victoria so we could watch her the entire time. We were all excited to see her - Jocelyn could not stop jumping up and down and squealing, "VICTORIA!!!" and Ava kept saying, "This is SO awesome!" It was special to see this person who means so much to our entire family in such a special event; we could not have been any prouder of or happier for her.
** The magic of Santa. At the end of the parade when we saw Santa in his sleigh, Jocie shouted "SANTA!" To which Ava responded without missing a beat, "No, Jocie. That's not the real Santa. The real Santa is at miss Katy's house." After watching the parade, we all made a quick trip to the Carlsons' house to see Santa, who was indeed having Thanksgiving dinner with them again this year. My girls once again got a special personal audience with Santa. They listened to him read Twas the Night Before Christmas and told him what they hope to get from him for gifts. This is the second year we've been able to make this visit, and I am so grateful to our friends for letting us crash their Thanksgiving for a few minutes. I'm equally grateful to Santa for spending time with my girls on his day off. It means the world to them and will leave them with such special memories for the rest of their lives.
** Thanksgiving "family." Originally I had thought we were going to get to share Thanksgiving with my brother Kevin and his family, who moved to New York earlier this year. However, weather and schedules made this plan fall through. Fortunately our neighbors across the street were in a similar situation as us - far from family and not wanting to have a quiet Thanksgiving by themselves. So we combined forces and had a fantastic Thanksgiving. The meal was amazing (can you really go wrong with a traditional Thanksgiving spread?), but it was really the company that made the day great. The kids vanished and played peacefully the entire time. Matt, Andrea, Ben and I went back and forth between the kitchen and living room chatting and prepping for dinner. It was far from picture perfect - the turkey wouldn't cook fast enough, the rolls didn't stop rising, some of the food never even got cooked - but it was perfect for US. I couldn't have asked for a better Thanksgiving meal.
Having been awake for going on 16 hours now, I can say that I am one tired woman. But as I look back on today I am beyond humbled by all the blessings in my life. I live in a great house and always have more than enough to eat. I have a fantastic husband who makes me laugh, drives me crazy, and completes me in every way. I have three daughters who could not be more different and who I could not love any more. I sleep well at night because men and women are all over the world, sacrificing time with their own families, to protect my freedom. I have countless family and friends, near and far, who love and support me. Most importantly, I have a faith that drives and sustains me throughout each and every day. I have so very much to be thankful for, and I am glad I had the opportunity to really focus on each of these things during this Thanksgiving day.
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