It's Thanksgiving. I'm not about to say I'm thankful I don't have children. I'm not. I wish with all my heart I had children and grandchildren to spend the holidays with, especially because this will be my first Thanksgiving in 25 years without my husband Fred. He will spend the day like any other day at Timberwood Court Memory Care Center, a nursing home for Alzheimer's patients.
I feared I would be alone, but I have lost count of the number of people who have invited me to spend the day with them. I have a lot of good friends, and for that I am grateful. Perhaps this is a day to put away thoughts of who we don't have and appreciate the people we do have. Tomorrow, thank someone for being in your life.
I am also thankful for my dogs. I am glad that I still have both of them, even though Chico the fence-jumper keeps running away. So far, he always comes back. He and Annie are giant dogs who sit in my lap, lean against my legs, and lick my face when I cry.
I'm thankful for my house, my health and work that I love. I'm thankful for little things like poppyseed muffins and Red Zinger tea and big things like sunshine and having the ocean nearby.
I'm very thankful that someone else is cooking the turkey tomorrow.
If you're feeling particularly childless during the holidays, make a list of things you're thankful for. They can be as silly as pink shoestrings or as serious as a cancer scare survived. We could all make long lists of complaints, but this week, let's be grateful for the good stuff.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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