Thanksgiving 2009

Deep Fried Turkey - YUM!

Here’s what I’m thankful for:

Life

I’m glad and happy I’m here. I’m glad and happy just to be here and enjoy the abundance that life has to offer. The ability to see, hear, taste, think, walk, talk, smell, know, work and love.  The chance to make a difference if I work hard at it.

Love

Love’s a great thing. Isn’t it? To find someone who you really enjoy being with and who loves you in return.  To accept and be accepted by another just because you are who you are.  To be able to share a closeness and bond unmatched by anything else I can image. To simply relish the presence of your love when they are near you.

I often marveled at the members of “The Greatest Generation.”  Those elderly couples who have been together, through thick and thin, no matter what, for many, many years.  When you see them together and they look at each other, you can see the deep love and devotion in their eyes; their actions; and the way they speak of each other.  I have been blessed to know a few such couples in my days.  Folks like Ace & Helen, Art & Janet, Ron & Mary and Dick & Aggie. Each of these couples, by the way they have lived their lives, have taught me much and I am so grateful for it.  They inspired me to search for a love like that and not settle for anything less.

Love may not work out in the long run.  More often than not, through the course of our lives, it does not.  I’ve loved and lost many times.  Yet, I remember the sad times and the glad times of each relationship and I, as a man, am better for it.  Each of my loves has taught me something and helped me grow to be a better person.

So, go ahead, fall in love.  Find that special someone just for you.  The search for that one special love itself is well worth it.  If you’ve loved and lost, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, learn from the experience and TRY IT AGAIN! You WILL get it right eventually and your life will never be dull as a result.

Liberty

There is no doubt in my mind that this is the greatest country on the planet. But, then again, I haven’t experienced that many.  However the freedoms and individual liberty upon which America was founded make it totally unique.  Yet, as a nation, we have allowed those whom we have elected to chip away at the very foundations upon which this country was founded.  We must resolve ourselves to take whatever efforts necessary to preserve our way of life, before it is stripped from us.  We must not be sheeple. We must aspire to the goals of “We The People.”

Family

Aren’t they fun?  As most of us gather today, we will be amongst and in the company of those we hold most dear.  Enjoy and savor those moments.  Look around the room and take a good inventory.  God willing, we’ll all be together again to do it next year. Maybe there will even be a few new faces in the room. But, maybe not.  Cherish these times when you are around those you love and care for deeply.

I’m so thankful for having been born into the family I was.  I love my sisters and my nieces and nephews and my aunts and uncles and those grandparents I was fortunate enough to meet. Thanks to marriage, I count among my family a whole plethora of wonderful people.  I started to name them all, but in the interest of brevity, I’ll enumerate them at some other time – as I work on my family tree.

Insert pause for Banana Pudding here. MMMM. Donna just gave me the bowl and a spatula. It was made with fresh cream, instead of plain milk. Also, hand whipped as opposed to using a blender. Together this made for a rich, heavy and absolutely delicious combination.  I look forward to savoring the finished product!

Friends

I’ve been truly blessed with many great friends throughout this country and even a couple scattered out there in cyberspace. Let’s see how many states:  New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Florida, Colorado, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Maryland, Virginia, DC, California, Ohio and Tennessee.

I miss you all and hope you have a wonderful experience today and have safe and uneventful travels getting to and from your celebrations.

To all my family and close friends gathered in North Carolina and New York- I will lift my glass to you today in celebration of  knowing you and in thanksgiving for having you in my life.

Animals & Nature

Finally, I’m thankful for the many animals who have touched and enriched my life. I have always been an animal lover, since my earliest days and will be one until I die.  God’s furry and feathered creatures are truly something to behold. The unconditional love and companionship they bring into our lives can serve to brighten our darkest days. I hope you have had the opportunity to experience the joys they provide.

As for nature, I marvel at the many wonders that surround me in my everyday life as well as those exceptionally large creations. The beauty of a flower. The smell of fresh cut grass. The ocean shore. Niagara Falls. The Grand Canyon. The Rockies. The Mountains. The desert. WOW!

In closing, may the richness and abundance of the life that surrounds you not go unnoticed.! Go now and LIVE, LAUGH and LOVE!  I’ve rambled on too long and need to get into the kitchen and start cooking!  May God’s abundance be with you each and every day of your life!

P.S. – Hey Ray, I wish I could be there lounging in a comfy outdoor chair, glass of Jim in hand and watching you cook. Boy, that’s so much fun!