Giving Thanks

On each Thanksgiving, as so many of us do, I stop and reflect on the many things I have to be thankful for. Sometimes the things for which we are thankful come with a cost, but without that cost we might have missed it.

I am thankful for the many friends we have. There are those who are here in Tennessee whom we may have never met had we not moved here almost 3 years ago. There are those in Florida (or who used to live in Florida) that we still keep in touch with, miss often, and see when we can. And there are those who are literally spread across the world who we have connected with through different channels on the internet. Although we have not met most of them, we know that if we call on them for a prayer or good thoughts, or just to answer a question for us, they will be there. And so many have become very close friends that we treasure.

I am thankful for my faith. I have never been a regular church goer, but I have always believed in God and known that he has a bigger plan. Like many, I sometimes wonder what He was thinking, but He eventually shows me that he was right all along, of course.

That faith has been tested a few times this year. I suddenly felt it was time for me to go back to work, felt it was something that I needed to do to help my family. Three months later Rob lost his job. I am thankful for that job loss, because through that loss we learned a LOT about ourselves, and it brought us an angel named Frank, who gave Rob work when he could and helped our family get through the three months he was without a job. I am also thankful because Rob was able to find a job he likes better, where he feels more challenged and more valued.

I am thankful for the health of my family; for my husband who works so hard and worries so much, my children who are a constant source of joy (and sometimes frustration) in each day.

I am thankful that my daughter has done so well on her own her first semester of college. She is a bright, resourceful young woman, and is standing on her own 2 feet so well.

As most know, Rob's mom is ill and is currently in hospice care. We are so sad at the thought of losing her, but I am so thankful, that she was part of the package when I married her son. She is my little Italian mother-in-law, complete with the stereotypical "Eat!" and "I'll smacka you!". I love her, and I am thankful that she learned to love me, after I stole her baby boy away. :)

So this year, give thanks for those close to you, for those who are close in heart but maybe not in distance, for the things you have, and the things you may have lost.