Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has always been kind of an indifferent holiday for me. When I was a kid, it was the signal that Christmas was finally almost here. Even now as an adult, Thanksgiving is when Christmas officially can start coming. The decorations go up, and I can start listening to my Christmas music. (And I went and found blinking lights to put up around my cubicle. If I can find one small enough- I’m going to get a mini Christmas tree. If I was really daring I would see if I could find a way to make them flash to music. But I think that might finally push them over the edge.) But anyway. Thanksgiving has always been a rather nondescript holiday. More and more, Christmas decorations are going up before Halloween, and Thanksgiving is lost even further in the shuffle. Honestly when I think of Thanksgiving, my first thoughts are Mom’s corn pie, leftover turkey soup, and her pecan pie. Which is hand’s down the best pecan pie in the world. Yum. I know what Thanksgiving is supposed to be- counting your blessings, pilgrims and Indians, family, yadda-yadda. Seriously though, nine times out of ten- it’s calories, parades, football games, Black Friday shopping, and stress.
(And pie. mmmmmmmhhhhhhh)

But I’ve been thinking a lot more about Thanksgiving this year. Kind of ironic that I start to think about what I have to be thankful for during the worst year of my life.
But I do have a lot to be thankful for. I appreciate my family more now than I think I ever have. I’ll never take another one of them for granted again. I’m thankful for the friends that I have… the ones that stood by me even when I was being the most miserable and the most unlovable. I’m thankful for all the things that everyone says… my health, my job. But it means more this year.

I just need to remember that...

(unfinished draft, posted 5-8-09)