Thursday This

I think today was the hardest day since I have been here. Today was Thanksgiving and everyone is home but I’m here. Today is a day when I wish that teleporting was invented. Though I never really fessed up to it in order to avoid a cheesy-ness factor, at my family holiday parties and get togethers, there always seemed to be a moment when I would take it all in and think to myself, ‘wow. Look at all of us. Being a part of this is something special because not everyone has a family like mine. We all get along and cousins are more like siblings.’ I have always been pretty proud of my family and everyone’s accomplishments. Not just in my own immediate world, but looking at all that both sets of grandparents created. It’s something pretty unique and I’m lucky to be a part of it. Luckily I haven’t ever had to miss it.

But today I do.

I was fortunate enough to have one of the coaches open up his home and I shared Thanksgiving with him and his family and cooked with his wife, which made the day a bit easier, but while it was the next best thing to being with my own family, it wasn’t home.

About three years ago, I started reading KA’s blog because she was a scrapbooker with very lovely layouts that I often scrap-lifted. Today, I read her latest posting, an installment of ‘Thursday This’ in which she lists her favorite things. Today, she listed all the things for which she is thankful and I’m feeling inspired to do the same.

I’m thankful for:

For my dad, who taught me to be strong and independent and for making sure I always have all the tools to succeed, like a new set of golf clubs, and for helping me with adult things like 401(k)s and IRA rollovers.                                                                                                              

For my mom, who always listens and advises, sends me text message football game updates and for always answering the phone when I have a cooking question.                         

For my brothers, who send me text messages to tell me that they miss me and their selfless offers to eat my leftovers.                                                                            

For Cindy, who is the big sister that I didn’t have and who I sometimes call just so I can hear her ringback tone of the the Napa High fight song. I really do.                                             

I am very fortunate and I have a lot for which to be thankful, including my bed and the Aunt Maggie pillows on which I’m about to lay my head.