More Than Just a Day

I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. Henry David Thoreau

My chaos, oops I mean my children (darn autocorrect) will descend upon the red roof inn this week and I truly cannot wait. I am pretty easy to shop for on my birthday, all I ever want is my family’s presence on my special Thanksgiving birthday. For a long time I told my children it was a command performance to come home for Thanksgiving and my birthday, but then I started to feel bad about the pressure I may have put on them. They deserve to live their adult lives in the way they see fit – which I am sure includes their own Friendsgivings. 

I am grateful for any time the five of us can be together – even if now the group also includes a few significant others and a few dogs. The more the merrier – especially at this time of year. The joy we feel during the holidays, when we are with our family and friends, is as comforting as a cozy blanket, a fire in the hearth, tea with honey, and a good book. The laughter, the heated discussions, the wine, and the warm embrace of love is uplifting and can sustain me well into the long, dark winter.

But, what if Thanksgiving were more than just a day. What if we could keep the joy in our hearts, that we feel when we are with our loved ones, each and every day. I know it is not yet New Year’s but I have decided how I will live in 2020. I will be grateful for what I am and what I have. I will be grateful for my loved ones – in person or in my heart. I will be grateful for my school community which brings me such joy on a daily basis. Each day I will offer a word of thanksgiving. 

And although I won’t eat turkey every day I will feed my soul with gratefulness.