Belated Thanks

Last Thanksgiving was bleak for me. No. It was beyond bleak. It was the deepest, darkest time I have ever had in my life. I still celebrated Thanksgiving with friends like I do every year. I felt that was the exact antidote for my grief. I could cope with my tremendous loss with the help of the warmth from good friends and lovely memories. The Thanksgiving before that, Ma and Pa were with us. So this one was bittersweet - bitter from the loss and sweet with the memories.

I have been meaning to write this post since then. I ALWAYS give thanks. And I feel the true test of that would be to see if I could find something to be thankful about in such bleak times. Well I did.

I am thankful for the time I did get with my father.

I am thankful that HE was my father.

I am thankful for my family - Ma, my brother, his wife who was there for me when I needed her most, her parents, J - my pillar of strength, my darlings S and M.

I am thankful for my friends.

I am thankful that Pa was here to see my second child and enjoyed being with her.

I am thankful that he didn't suffer much.

I am thankful for all the friends and family members - uncles, aunts and cousins, my BIL and SIL, who rallied around us in our darkest hour.

I am also sad and sorry about a few things but I certainly am thankful for all that I have. Lord, please never let me forget that.