I Am Thankful.

 

   Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the winter holiday season.  Sitting in my office today, I see the multitude of cars traveling the highway; heading over the river and through the woods.  For many families, it is a time of gathering, the traditional thanksgiving feast and an afternoon of football.  With all the hustle and bustle of black Friday shopping, bulging waistlines, and stress of preparing the holiday feast, many of us have forgotten what Thanksgiving is all about.
     This year, I have really thought about the meaning of Thanksgiving.  Yes, I know all about the European colonists who were freezing and starving and the Native Americans who helped them to survive.  I won't get into the history lesson about the first Thanksgiving, but real meaning is that Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks.  So this year, I have decided to reflect on all that I am thankful for and list those things on this blog.  If you get the chance, I encourage you to do the same.

Things I am thankful for....

The love my family shares.
Spending my 42nd birthday at lunch with my Granny.
My daughter, who knows how to work hard for the things she wants in life.
To live near the water.  To eat from it, swim in it and to listen to it.
The places that I have been.
My friends. Old and new.
To able to laugh with all of those friends.
Being an American.
Memories.
The people and stories of Goose Creek Island.
For those who have opened up their lives for my Goose Creek Island research.
That I am the very best that I can be.
The faith to persevere and that the Lord is in control of my life.

I close my journal entry today with a prayer. It is a prayer of thanks that my great grandmother Melissa Howerin Lewis (1888-1990) always recited at the beginning of every meal. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.  May your holiday be filled with love, laughter and memories.

Dear Lord, we thank you for this and all other blessings we receive from Thee. Abide with us this day our Father and lead us in Thy will.  Amen.