As the holiday seasons approach, it’s time to reflect on a lot of things and remember all that we have to be thankful for.  Okay, that sounds incredibly cliché-ish.  And it is.  But its truthful as well.  That’s the reason for the holiday we know as Thanksgiving.  We get a chance to look at our lives and really think about the things in our lives that are truly important to us.

I could say how thankful I am for all the typical stuff I have; car, job, friends ad family, home.  And I honestly, deeply am thankful for all these things.  God’s blessed me with all of these things in abundance.  Okay, my car isn’t the best, being an older minivan that’s been in the shop several times and has now cost me more than the car is worth.  But I have a car, and I can transport myself where I need to go, when I need to get there.

I have a job.  Which, these days, is saying something.  I’m thankful for this job, it’s a great company, full of good people, working with good clients, and God’s blessed our company in this time of economic recession.

I have a wealth of friends, both through church and outside of church.  I know I can lean on these friends in times of trouble, and that’s a great comfort.  As for family, I have a sister and brother who I know love me.  Although I don’t call them as often as I should, I hope they know how much I love them as well.  Plus, with an upcoming wedding, I am gaining another family.  I love my fiancé, and her family is a great family.  Huge, too.  So there’s lots of people to become part of my extended family.

A home.  With all the foreclosures and lay offs in the workplace, I should be extremely grateful that I am blessed with a permanent roof over my head.  So many people, too many people don’t have one.  But I have a small house, don’t need a large one just yet.  We’re not planning on a family quickly, but if God has decided we’re getting a child, we’ll roll with it and trust Him.

My fiancé.  I am very grateful for her.  She’s really a big change, and a good change at this point in my life.  She has been such a strong person for me to lean on and draw comfort from while I was with dad during his passing away.  She helps me stay focused on certain tasks (like cleaning and organizing the house), encourages me, and I love sharing things with her, and spending time with her. 

That having been said, there’s at least one thing in life that I can honestly say make this a very hard Thanksgiving.  This will be the first Thanksgiving without Dad.  And to make it worse, without mom and dad.  I dread the thought of tomorrow without both of them. Mom past away last year, and Thanksgiving last year was hard but bearable because I was surrounded by family, sharing with dad, Di and her family, and Ken.  And this year, it’s going to be different.  Very different.  As will Christmas, and every holiday again until next year.  It might be easier next year, but not by much.

For now, those are my thoughts.  Happy Thanksgiving.  Be safe, be blessed.