ThanksGiving Thoughts

I had the strangest feelings all during ThanksgivingDay this year, and that was before I ate any turkey. I keep feeling that eveything that happened had happened before. Sometimes I was sitting at the kids' table and sometimes I was the mom wondering what my kid was talking about at the kids' table. Sometimes I'd just catch myself from calling one of the nephews by the name of one of my brothers. It was comforting because I now suspect that Thanksgiving DAy dinner will always be a joyous celebration as long as their is family around to celelbrate it. Even those who were eating dinner with other families were present as their stories were told and their names invoked in long standing jokes, or someone would say something and sound just like some other family member.

I was apprehensive that the day would become sad because recent ThanksgivingDays have brought pain and loss. Just last year our mother was in the hospital, in good spirits, surrounded by family and anticipating what the diagnosis of leukemia would mean to her. She knew her faith would be tested and her faith carried her until the end. Just a year ago our brother was still alive and anticipating the coming spring and the graduation of his son. His faith allowed him to enjoy every day of his life that was left to him. It is comforting to know that even in death, we are still a part of the family. Just like thay say, you can pick your friends , but you are part of a family for eternity, like it or not. I like it.