Thanksgiving Blessings

My Thanksgiving could have looked a little different this year. One minute you are having a wonderful time watching football and screaming at the TV and the next minute you are in the Emergency Room with a possible life-changing event! My husband, Erin, had a medical episode that was extremely frightening, painful, and almost bizarre. We ended up having two trips to the Emergency Room within 7 days before we finally got in to see the urologist. Luckily, they immediately did a procedure that could alleviate the issue and get all the plumbing working again. Suffice it to say, he is taking it one day at a time and praying it doesn't happen again.

So, this Thanksgiving I am very grateful for medical professionals. Without them this past week and a half, things could have been a whole lot different. I will also say that you could literally die while waiting in the emergency room. I am not trying to be critical, but when a loved one is hurting and it takes forever for someone to admit you, frustration becomes your middle name. I am aware they are very busy, but it is hard to just sit and wait... something I will admit I am not very good at. I am also a fix-it person, and when I can't, I feel so helpless. I kept thinking that thirty days ago we were in Cancun, Mexico, having the time of our lives, and today we are looking at each other like - "What happened?"

This is when I am reminded again that I am not in charge. Life can literally change in an instant and we need to be grateful every single day for the gift of life. Sometimes we need to take it day by day, and then other times, we need to just take it moment by moment. God reminds us that we must walk in faith and we can't always see the path ahead. In Corinthians 5:7 it says "For we walk by faith and not by sight". So I try to stay in the moment with faith and find joy in everything in my life. I am thankful for my family, friends, and neighbors who fulfill my life. Sometimes, it is as simple as drinking wine in the driveway with me on a beautiful fall day. Other times it can be spending time with family, enjoying the lake, or just being present. Often, it is just sitting in the silence when the world is quiet and letting God take the reins. Once in a while, it is something as simple as the taste of a really good martini and listening to close friends tell their stories. I will share with you that one of my most treasured joys is sitting here writing this story, while breathing in the tantalizing smell of the Thanksgiving turkey slowly roasting in the oven.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for all of you and also every person that touches my life. I pray for all those who are suffering this holiday season from illness or any other disparities. I hope God brings you the peace and the relief you deserve. May the Lord watch over all of you and bring you the blessings you need. In the dictionary, the word "Thanksgiving" means "the act of giving thanks: grateful acknowledgement of benefits or favors, especially to God." So thank you, God, for the gift of life!

I wish you all a very blessed, healthy, and happy Thanksgiving.

Remember to be grateful.........

Until we talk again........