Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Giving Thanks


Well, It's almost Thanksgiving and I'm thinking about what my Grandmothers would have been thankful for and what I should be as well. It's fairly easy to pull up all of the old standbys - family, friends, a big, fat turkey on the table. And I am definately thankful for all of them. But how about fine-tuning it a little bit.
My grandma Flora moved around a lot. My father said that she could make a home in a packing crate if she needed to. I'm sure she was thankful for every Thanksgiving that found a solid roof over her head. She would have been thankful for all of her grandchildren who she loved dearly. She would have been thankful for the fragrance of the autumn oaks outside and the M&Ms she had stashed under the towels in the linen closet (she was diabetic and hid her candy).
My grandma Ruth would have been thankful for the farm we lived on and the abundance that came from it. That farm fed her and my grandfather, my whole family, and assorted aunts and uncles, cousins and friends. I'm sure she was thankful for her son, her only child, and the 4 grandchildren he gave her. She would have been thankful that the lilacs bloomed every spring just outside the back bedroom window and she would be thankful that on a cold February morning, perhaps on her birthday (February 9th) she would be able to find the first violet blooming under the maple tree that sheltered her house. She would be thankful for Saturday Popcorn Night and Sunday Pancake Breakfast with the grandkids.
So what am I thankful for? I'm thankful that although my home isn't big by anyone's standards, it's big enough for my son and two of his friends to live here as they get their feet under them in this horrible economy. I'm thankful that my daughter was finally able get her own home. I'm thankful that I only have one chemo session left and then I can get on with my life again. I'm thankful that I can be a shoulder for friends who are going through a rough road with elderly parents who are dying, and I'm thankful that I can make a tiny differance for the better in anyone's life if I just stay positive and give more than I take. And finally, I'm thankful for the stormy Winter outside, because without it, I wouldn't enjoy the Spring nearly as much.

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