Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, a very close second right after Christmas.  This is mostly because it is the time of year when I get to see my family (who are mostly scattered now).  Some of my fondest childhood memories are tied to this holiday.  The excitement of driving all night, sometimes through nasty weather, and in the morning I got to wake up play with all my cousins. 

The place we gathered in was tiny and old, not really big enough for all of us.  The pluming was finicky, the water not so great.  There was not really TV, not enough bedrooms, there were no parks, or shopping malls, or movie theaters.  There were no fancy table settings, decorations, central heat, no dish washer, or really even showers for most of us.  Not enough water to go around.

There was family.  There was a couple thousand acres of open prairie pasture, a canyon not far away where we explored cliffs and rocks and tumbled down houses. There was an old gooseneck stock trailer that the 12 of us cousins use to get in the nose when it was cold and windy and tell stories.  There were corrals to be explored, wheelbarrows to be used to haul kids around in, bikes, and Tonka Trucks, and dirt. Oh, and there were card tables in the back porch room and kitchen where many games were played day and night.  And, of course, there was food.  The dinner was a pot-luck style affair where all the family cooks contributed for an amazing feast in a little kitchen over an old, old propane stove.

I loved it.  As a kid you don’t really think of all the inconveniences the adults have to face! I just loved getting to see all of my cousins, aunts and uncles in one spot.  Thanksgiving was the happiest of times from a kid’s perspective. To this day I still get excited for Thanksgiving.  We no longer celebrate at that tiny old house in remote northern New Mexico (much to my dismay), but the people are what make it special. 

So, I didn’t get to see my family last year because I had just given birth to a 10 day old premature baby. And this year….well, I really wanted to share my son with my family. But we live in a pandemic, and I don’t get to see my people. Again. I am so bummed.

Life in a pandemic makes you aware of all those things you were grateful for and didn’t take time to be grateful about.

So I am writing this not only for you to read, but to remind myself that there are

SO MANY THINGS TO BE GRATEFUL FOR. 

I am so grateful for my family.  They are still here, even if virtually, and I am thankful for that.  I miss them terribly, but I am confident that I will see them again and that they will get to meet my son someday soon.  I am grateful for our warm home, our community, our church family, to be ranchers, for the business that provides us a living, for the chance to be at home with my newborn son this past year.  I am thankful for all of those past memories of family time to sustain me during this trying year.  I am thankful and grateful for our health, for my husband, and for my savior.  You know, I’m not feeling quite as bummed as I was a few minutes ago.  Amazing how that works huh!?! 

The list goes on; I’m thankful for my dogs and my cats, they are great sources of amusement in times like these.  I’m thankful for the opportunity to get out and walk or run, hike or bike.  I am thankful for our horses, and our cattle, and the amazing opportunities we have had to partner with people this year on cattle in a time of severe drought.  God has sustained us and blessed us this year.  Amen!

Friends, this Thanksgiving I pray a prayer of awareness of your blessings. See the abundance God has provided, even in these trying times, and be grateful.  Pandemic or not Thanksgiving is here, and it’s time to remember to be thankful.  It is in times like these, our blessings shine like stars on a dark night. There are so many, but we need to remember to look and stand in awe of their beauty and inconspicuous existence.  So my challenge this holiday season is to do like me, make a list of all of your blessings and watch your attitude change.

Thanksgiving Challenge: 

Write out a list of things you are grateful for and put it on your fridge to look at every day this holiday season.