Thankful

November is the month to take a look back on the year and give thanks for all the blessings around you. This month I have been publishing daily inspirations to remind you to take a moment and be thankful. One of my favorites is “We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have” by Friedrich Koenig. This is the best time of the year to stop and reflect on what you do have and to be thankful for it. Don’t compare yourself to others. Be happy for what you do have.

This year we have had a lot of ups but we had a major down in that we lost sweet Gram in February. I still look back and am thankful for all of the time that I got to spend with her, and I don’t regret it one bit. I still feel sad that she isn’t here with us to enjoy the snow falling in Pennsylvania or the wind blowing in her face on our boat rides in Florida. I miss her being there beside me every day asking “What is this?“. It still hurts my heart that my little buddy is no longer with us. But I know I can’t stop living because she is gone, and I need to be thankful for all of the moments that we had together. I know she is happy in heaven and enjoying dancing her polka dances again with Gramps.

Jeff and I are very blessed, and we often talk about how lucky we are. Some of the blessings we are thankful for are…Thankful that we had Gram. Thankful that we have his two boys and they are growing into wonderful young men. Thankful that we can create memories with our little niece and nephew, and my mom. Thankful that we can spend time with Jeff’s mom. Thankful that we have amazing friends in every city that we go to. Thankful that we are healthy and active. Thankful that we have a house over our heads and a job to provide for us.

For the past few years, Jeff’s family has come to Florida for Thanksgiving. Although I miss Thanksgiving with my family, I do enjoy Jeff’s family, especially his sisters. One is older and one is younger than me. I was the oldest but somehow my sister was the one I went to for advice. I miss her more than anything and would give it all to have one more day with her. But now I have two new sisters to go to when I am feeling down or need advice or want to share some crazy life event. I wish both of our families could celebrate Thanksgiving together and maybe someday we will. But for now, I will be thankful for my sisters and the fun times we have shared, and looking forward to many more to come.

We have a really wonderful time celebrating Thanksgiving in Florida. For 41 years, I spent Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania or Virginia. Although both are wonderful places for Thanksgiving, it’s different in Florida. We run Turkey Trots, go on the boat, have Thanksgiving dinner on the pool deck, and head to the beach for Thanksgiving Day. And it’s different that we are now the hosts. It’s a week of eating, drinking, and sharing good times together. There is no schedule and no agenda. We enjoy the days and the laughs and can’t wait until we can do it again.

Here is a little Thanksgiving acrostic poem from our family to yours:

T- Thankful

H- Happy

A- Appreciative

N- Nourishing

K- Kinship

S- Surrounded by family and friends

G- Grateful

I- Inspiring

V- Valuable

I- Irreplaceable

N- New Beginnings