Things to be Thankful For

It is 7:09 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. I have just put the turkey in the oven in preparation for the big celebration this afternoon with 39 family members and friends. We like to do a lunch gathering (feeding frenzy) that lasts into the evening. It will be a pot luck and we all take turns hosting it each year. So I am excited to have everyone over to our house this year.

I still have no children. But I have many, many other things to be thankful for.

My wonderful, ever-patient, loving husband, who will spend the morning mowing the lawn and making the place presentable for the guests.

My mother and sister, who traveled here from Tucson to help me prepare for the big day. It feels so good to have them here. It reminds me of Thanksgivings past, when we all lived together, and I would wake up in the morning energized and ready for the day ahead.

My cousin MFB, who is always there for me when I am planning something big. She helped me plan my wedding, and she has helped me plan Thanksgiving for 39 people.

The other 34 friends and family, who will share this day with us, as well as all my loved ones, both living and not.

I have my health. Sometimes in my frustration at my body for not cooperating with its biological imperative to procreate, I forget that in every other way, this body has served me extremely well. It ran a marathon in January, has never gotten the flu, recovers nicely from minor colds and infections, responds to my efforts to reshape it, and generally is something I never think about, which means that it is healthy. If you're thinking about your body, that usually means there's something wrong with it. And I rarely think about my body.

Work is going well, finally, after a year and a half of very frustrating and fruitless effort.

Beautiful flowers that were sent to me by my cousin KH, who called the other day when I was really sad and sent flowers to cheer me up. And of course, KH, NH, and their three children... who live out of state and I wish I could see more often.

A weather forecast of 83 degrees today, which will make our outdoor dining experience just perfect.

And really, I could name so many more things. So today I will be grateful for all the many blessings in my life.

Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers!