Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving has always been a pretty major holiday in my family. All of the family comes in and we get to have two big feasts, one on each side of the family. it is not quite the fun Christmas is because rather than gathering in the living room to open gifts together we just eat (well we do that at Christmas too) and watch TV (okay we do that too) and fall asleep watching TV (well we do that too). So more is different than just the gifts, I just don't know how to explain it. There are sort of gifts at Thanksgiving too, but only for my grandfather Earl. He loves presents so much I think he starts opening Christmas presents in early November!

Back to Thanksgiving. This year it almost came and went without me noticing. I got to talk to Mom and Dad and Ryan and Whit which was good; it had been a while. And all of my coworkers and I had a big dinner on Friday (the day after). Had it not been for the get together on Friday I would have missed the entire holiday.

I think maybe I still missed it. I'm not really sure who started the holiday. I know we go back to the pilgrim and Indian thing, but what made it stick? Whose idea was it that we should gather together once a year and celebrate all of the things we are thankful for? I think that is the part I missed of Thanksgiving...not just this year, but probably for a while.

Sure I missed being with family! And I have a great family! But usually I let the trip I've made home and the chance to get fatter and all the hugs overshadow the chance to truly celebrate having all of those things. I ate this year...we even flew in a Turkey from Dubai. I even watched part of a prerecorded football game. But I missed my family and I missed giving thanks.

Perhaps I need to have Thanksgiving again this week. This time I will skip the game and the Turkey (it completely counteracts the diets I have been on: 1. The stairs diet; 2. The running to the toilet diet). I think I need to take a day and celebrate the things I am truly thankful for.

I am thankful for an amazingly loving family. I am thankful to serve a mighty Creator. I am thankful to have so many people committed to that same Creator and me that they often remember me and the work I am invested in. I am thankful I have a job. I am thankful I can afford clothes. I am thankful I have food on the table. I am thankful the sun is shinning. I am thankful for the chance to spend the next month celebrating the upcoming holiday. I am thankful...