Thanksgiving- 11/26/09

What Thanksgiving is all about...

It reminds me to be thankful for all of those that God has blessed my life with.

Before we made it to the church for our "family" Thanksgiving meal, my mom and I stopped at the convenience store to get some sodas and breakfast. As I sat at the drive-thru window, the cashier saw the plate of brownies on my mom's lap and joked, "Oooh! I want to go with you!" We asked in response, "Do you want one?" She excitedly said yes, so we handed her the top brownie. Then my mom asked how many other people were working there right now and she said that there were 3 others. So we grabbed 3 more brownies and passed them through the window to give to the other employees.

The event made me think about how these people had to work on Thanksgiving and were missing out on being with their families or friends at that time, but I was glad that we could be a blessing to them in a small way. I am also thankful for a mother who has set the example for me of a generously giving spirit.

This year, I was MOST thankful for my precious baby boy. At this point last year, I was taking fertility drugs but was not yet pregnant. So this is truly our first Thanksgiving together. He is such an answer to prayer, and I feel blessed to be spending this holiday season with him in my arms.

The person who was missing from our holiday festivities was my brother, though. Now in New Mexico eating brisket (not turkey) with my dad, his absence was felt. But, he was with us in spirit... and in plate form...

Finally, today was also special in that Josiah met his only living great-grandmother today. She isn't blood-related, as she is Jesse's stepmom's mom, but she is family nonetheless.

I think Josiah is nearly as big as she is (such a petite woman!)

"Family" today, to me, meant something very different than before. It meant not only my husband, son, mom, aunts, and cousins, but those people's extended families, not biologically related to us. It meant sharing dinner and games with one man from our church who didn't have anywhere else to go. I hope he felt at home with us. It meant the in-laws and the blended family members. It meant sharing stories and smiles with people who I don't get to spend a lot of time with. It meant meeting new people. It meant sharing our gratitude and love with all of those we came into contact with today!