As a child Thanksgiving was held at my family home. Cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends came from all over. Our house was rowdy. It smelled of turkey, dressing and pumpkin pie. Children ran about playing tag or kickball in the front yard. The smaller kids crawled under the card tables set up to accommodate the mass of people. In the kitchen cooks bumped into one another. It was a chaotic, crazy, thrilling, fantastic frenzy of activity. I loved every moment of it.
Over the years the older generation began to pass away. Their children split off and had Thanksgiving with their own immediate families. My parents continued to host Thanksgiving for our family. It was a tradition I took for granted.
Last year for the first time in my life I was not invited to my parents house for Thanksgiving. After a difficult divorce and even more difficult coming out experience, my mother separated herself from me and my new wife. I felt abandoned. I had experienced much loss in the last few years and I was to continue to lose in my new life. I was heartbroken.
This Monday I do not want to be so hasty as to dump my thankfulness by the way side. It would be way too easy to throw myself into this week and forget all that has taken place over this past year. So, I reflect as I drive to work on all that I have to be thankful for this year. My marriage to Sandy. Sandy and I buying our 'farm' out in the county and moving our kids and five pets in together! Caleb moving out into his own apartment and Dawson settling into and excelling in his new school. And maybe most hard won, the reconciliation between my mother and I. I am so grateful for this.
I will try to approach this Monday with more gratitude and if that goes well then maybe I'll even try it on Tuesday too...
~Rinda
Love you sweetie!
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