We are a little more than 1 week away from Thanksgiving. When I think about last year this time, I was in a down emtional state. My father had passed in the spring fo 2007, my mother in the summer of 2006, and my step dad in 2005 1 week after hurricane Katrina. All unexpected. I had not had time to breathe. I had spent 3 years caring for sick, making arrangements, porbates, succession, title affairs, settling estates, and legal affairs.
My goal was to just get back to my life.
Fast forward to 2008.
I still, in quiet moments, when I wish I had my parents back I think of:
The things I would ask them.
The 'history' we never had time to discuss.
The whys?
The things I would love to do with them now that I can.
The things I would make time to do with them now, if I had known what was coming down the road for each of them.
To snap myself out of it I think of the things I have become steward of and the joy in my life:
I am healthy
I am still above ground (don't take that for granted)
I am employed, nicely
I own homes and land
I can strech a dollar, though I don't have to
I have great spouse
Our marriage has survived a very drawn out remodel and the most frustrating contractors on earth!
I have 3 great adult kids, Whom I love and they love me
I have 2 beautiful intelligent baby granddaughters
I am pretty intelligent
I have a small group of great friends who I can all on at any time, to help have fun, get real, or cry my head off
I still believe that all people are good at their essence and all things are possible
I still and always will, believe in an almighty GOD and his SON, who loves, protects, guides and gives me strength even when it is so dark and sad.
Of course, I am thankful for the efforts my ancestors made before my time and my parnets times, and their continued efforts securing their lands and property for the betterment of their heirs. for many this is a given, but for our family there were societal and other obstacles to retaining property, so the fact that it made it to my generation is a testament to their diligence.
I am also thankful for the opportunity to live during a time when many firsts have occurred, the most recent being the election of the member of a minority ethnic group as the president.
I hope you can find many if not more things to be thankful for during the following weeks, months and years, as our wait may be faster or longer than we expect.
In the low times, remember all of the things you have been given and blessed with.
It puts things and situation in perspective.
Thank you all for being my coffee in the morning, my tea at the evening, the facts, myths, conjecture, laughs and downright nonsense I get here are as they say 'priceless'.
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