Giving Thanks.......

Thanksgiving. 
 As I stop and think about what I am thankful for, the one fore most thought is family.  There are many other things I am grateful for, such as my car, a house, a warm fire burning in the house, food in my cupboard, indoor plumbing, my morning brew, my evening cocktail (Pendleton Whisky to be precise), ice cubes, the breathtaking view out my window, nature, those that made our country what it is, restaurants, warm socks, television, our farm, money in the bank (not much, but there is some), and a soft comfy bed, just to name a few.  But most of all I am thankful for the love that I am surrounded by from my Friends and Family.  This is what warms my heart.
  I am thankful for all the memories I have of past Thanksgivings.  So many wonderful pictures run through my mind of times spent enjoying this special holiday.  Traveling to my aunts house to spend time with my cousins.  Sitting at the kids table listening to the adults laugh and visit about the past and future.   I remember watching and listening to my mom and her sister as they sat around the kitchen table in their bathrobes, early in the morning, drinking their coffee and reconnecting.  Such wonderful memories.
  I remember the feeling of waiting for my brother and his family, that lived far away, to arrive at our house.  So fun to have all the family together, reconnecting on different levels.  Watching the younger ones now at the kids table and my siblings and I seated at the adult table. 
  Now, we are the adults sitting at the table with our adult children, and their children at the kids table. 
  Times change.  But do they really?  The faces change, but the tradition goes on.  Family.  Gathering together.  Thankful for what we have.  Each other.  Love.  
  Some years the gathering is big, some years its small.  Even if we are not all together, we still think of each other and remember past Thanksgivings we've shared.  All those wonderful memories we have and we share, will always be with us, and will continue through to the next generation.  And the next.  For this I am thankful.

Wishing all a very Happy Thanksgiving.