What are you thankful for?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Gosh I don't know where the past year has gone. It's been a busy year. My husband and I celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary, our son is continuing in his graduate school studies, our daughter took driver's training and started high school, and I trained and participated in a 3 day breast cancer walk. Wow ... I guess I just answered my own question about 'where' the past year has gone.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving though which gives me a good reason to stop and pause. Not just to have a day off of work, another day to watch football and eat great turkey, or map out my Black Friday strategies, but a day to allow myself the freedom to stop and think about the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

Dictionary.com defines 'thanksgiving' as 'the act of giving thanks'. It is easy to get so caught up in everything else that goes on in our daily lives (schedules, responsibilities, etc.) that we can forget to acknowledge all of the blessings that we have. I know I have a lot to be thankful for. I have a wonderful marriage, two amazing kids, a job, my health, a roof over my head to keep me dry and warm, great friends, and a God that loves me. I know I'm not perfect and I will never have all of the right answers, but that's o.k. Those are things I can work on (although I'll still never be perfect).

As the ever-growing commercialism seems to grow around us, let us all stop and remember that Thanksgiving isn't just about turkey and pumpkin pie. It's a time to be thankful. Blessings come in many shapes and sizes. Real blessings aren't the big flat screen TVs or the latest and greatest video game ... those are just 'things'. A true blessing is 'a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness'. It's the newly adopted baby boy by a wonderful family, the clean bill of health from your doctor, the voicemail that said 'you got the job'.

For me it's having both of my kids home for the holiday. It's the laughter and conversation that we'll have with extended family tomorrow. It's the memories that we'll reminisce about and the new memories that we'll make. The old traditions and the new ones. Don't get me wrong ... I'll still enjoy my brother-in-law's turkey tomorrow, especially since it's a tradition that I get to sneak the first taste before the platter is put on the table.

I wish all of you a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Jennifer