A PAUSE FOR GRATITUDE

Lots of people are on the road this Thanksgiving to visit family and friends.  When we first moved to Washington, we used to make the trek over 4 mountain passes to our hometown in Montana.  Both of our families lived there and Thanksgiving was a big holiday.  Year after year we would run into BAD weather either on the front end or the back end.  We both worked fulltime and didn’t have the luxury of waiting for better weather.  We also couldn’t afford to fly all of us.  Airfare to Montana is notoriously expensive!

After we moved to California, the Thanksgiving trips stopped.  The three of us created our own traditions.  Thanksgiving day involved going for a walk, seeing a movie and then maybe going out to dinner.  We also tried take out several times.  Eating out became less enjoyable because the food wasn’t ever all that great and the service wasn’t great either.  Plus, we both like turkey leftovers.  I started doing a little cooking but always kept it really simple. 

We continue to celebrate a simple Thanksgiving.  This year it includes a walk and a movie, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.  We may have crab for dinner or I might throw a little turkey breast in the oven when we get home.

I’ve been trying to stick to a daily gratitude practice.  As usual for me, it is pretty hit and miss.  But this Thanksgiving I want to take a pause for gratitude.  Like many of you, my list is long and filled with both big and very little things.

Here are just a few:

• I am now a 6-year cancer survivor and am in OK health (I have room for improvement!)
• I’ve been married to a kind and generous man for 44 years.
• I can take long walks every day and do a little traveling
• I finally have time to read for pleasure every single day
• I have amazing friends, ranging from my first friend to my meilleur ami to my other Montana friends to my California friends to my work friends over the years to my newest friend who is also a neighbor
• I treasure my 2 favorite necklaces – one from my daughter and one to commemorate being cancer free
• My 2 Christmas cacti survived the summer smoke and are blooming (both are long ago gifts from family and friends)
• Our new water heater is doing a fine job
• Our daughters are wise and kind, the 5 grandchildren are also kind and doing wonderfully well, and we are blessed with 3 smart and talented sons-in-law

And now here is the best part – all my family (who can make it) will be coming next weekend to help me celebrate my 70^th birthday!

It doesn’t get any better than that 😊.

The older you get, the more you realize how precious life is.  You have no desire for drama, conflict, or stress.  You just want a cozy home, good food on the table, and be surrounded by people who make you happy.

my_good_old_days

Happy Thanksgiving!

Allene

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