A Feeling of Gratitude

I used to not think so much about Thanksgiving. When I was little, the day was usually spent at my grandparents' house, eating turkey, hanging out with my brother and cousins, watching tv, and listening to my relatives talk and talk and talk the day away, mostly in a language that I did not yet understand. I remember my brother, my cousins and I often ate separately back then, at the kiddie table. While the day was enjoyable, I didn't really see what was the big deal. To me, it was a day with David and the girls, lots of food, and listening to my family carry on in Spanish -- pretty much like any other day while I was growing up.

When my grandmother passed away, the tradition changed a bit and Thanksgiving festivities moved to my aunt's house. I was 15, and hadn't been at the kiddie table for some time by then. As the years went by, we celebrated with all the traditional foods, board games, good conversation and more relatives as our family grew. Still very much enjoyed everything, but missed out on the gratitude aspect of the day.

Now that I'm older with a family of my own, Thanksgiving now has a special significance all its own. With some of the life experiences -- and losses -- my family has had, gratitude and thankfulness take on a whole new meaning. I look back on those Thanksgivings during my childhood and teenage years, and those same holidays in more recent years, and realize how thankful I am for many things. Thankful for having been part of a loving family and to have those special memories of those times with my relatives. Thankful for my husband, our three children AND our puppy, who bring much joy and laughter to my life everyday. Thankful for my family and friends, and the love, companionship and support they give me. Thankful for the art of photography and the incredible sense of satisfaction I get from making someone smile with my pictures. Most certainly, I have much for which to be thankful in my life!

In reflecting on Thanksgiving, I looked back at a post I wrote a year ago. Certain words from that time bear repeating today, so here goes ... "I used to not really think about all these things on Thanksgiving, or sometimes not much at all, for that matter. Just trying to keep up with the daily grind would have me so busy that I might take some of these things for granted or at least just not stop long enough to consider it all. But years have taught me to reflect and enjoy the good in my life, and today, this holds particularly true. And for that, I am grateful."

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with good food, family -- all the things you love and for which, you too are grateful. -- S

‎"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for... tomorrow." -- Melody Beattie.