Happy Thanksgiving

The Thanksgivings I will always remember are the ones where my small family of 3 would gather at my Aunt Vicki's house in Wimberley, TX every year. The mornings were filled with aromas of coffee and the start of the Thanksgiving Day meal. The wood would be crackling in the huge, stone fireplace in the living room, and the skies outside would be overcast gray, but not raining.... just a good chill to the air. I loved waking up in my aunt's house on those cold autumn mornings. Every day I'd walk out of the bedroom and run to the fireplace to warm my frozen feet... cuddle with the dogs on the carpet, and wait for the day's festivities to begin.

I loved the morning walks to the barn with my dad. We'd always peek in on all the horses, give 'em a kiss on the nose, and then go back inside to warm up again. The smell of hay in the barn is engraved in my memory like a brand. The crackle of the leaves under our steps... his presence in my life. Thanksgiving always makes me miss my father. His birthday is November 23rd. He would have been 57 this year. How I can't imagine my father being that old. I wonder if his hair would have turned gray by now... I constantly wonder what life would have been like if he was still here. My daughters would have been richly blessed to have him as a grandfather, I have no doubt.

Thanksgiving is small for us nowadays. Living in Germany, far away from the usual American traditions... We still cook the usual dinner for Thanksgiving, but something is always missing. Maybe it's him, or the hay in the barn, or the hill country in TX that always put the soul into Thanksgiving for me.

Anyway... Happy Thanksgiving everybody. Despite the ache, I'm thankful for everything right now. For the sunrises and sunsets here in Germany that never fail to take my breath away. For my wonderful husband and my two gorgeous, healthy daughters. For my family, my career, and the experiences in life that have brought me this far. Above all, I'm thankful for my God... who has given me my life, and everything in it.