Thankful

This is the post I meant to write on Thanksgiving. It was pretty much the whole point of all the other days of writing what I was thankful for, so even though I missed writing on thanksgiving I think it's worth sharing now.

I have so much to be thankful for. Those 20 or so posts don't really even scratch the surface. If I made a list, it would go on into eternity. Mostly I am thankful that my Heavenly Father gave me earthly parents, earthly friends, and earthly experiences. That pretty much covers the here and now. And I'm thankful that I know the One to thank. Because if I didn't, I would still be thankful, but what would be the point? What a great blessing it is in these times to know why I am here and who sent me. That knowledge gives me peace and strength every day.

I spent Thanksgiving with a wonderful family, and we all shared with each other what we were thankful for. I do miss my family on Thanksgiving, but I also don't feel as far away from them on that day as on some others. I know what they are doing and who they are with, and I'm doing pretty much the same thing. I get to call them and join in the party a little. This was my 7th Thanksgiving in a row that I didn't get to spend at my grandparents house. If I'm not there next year (and I probably won't be) that will make one third of my Thanksgivings that I wasn't there. But that's what I think of when anyone asks if I'll be "home" for Thanksgiving.

I love holidays for the memories. I count memories a great gift in my life. I used to be better at recording them, and I should work on keeping that up. I remember well the year I was twelve. We all gathered at my grandparents house in McLean as usual. Grandpas's siblings and many of their children were there too. My great grandmother Ruth gathered us all in the kitchen to inform us that she would not be with us next Thanksgiving. Aunt Melanie laughed, as did many of us, because she always said things like that, and we'd come to accept it as her wishful thinking. She was almost 92. But this time was different, to me at least. She told us to stick together and always be there for each other. She told us to stay close to the gospel. She died the next year on November 19th, six days before Thanksgiving. I don't remember anything about that next Thanksgiving, because I remember her funeral instead. I know thanksgiving was probably the same as always that year, though perhaps we were all a little more thoughtful. I know that sounds like a sad memory, but it's not really. It's just one more thing to remind me how grateful I am that my family is forever. That's what thanksgiving is all about to me.