Scattered Blessings

This Thanksgiving, my blessings will be scattered. Meagan will be here, but Charlie and Joe will be in Nebraska with Joe's parents. Dominic and Gigi are going to Charleston to celebrate with Gigi's parents. Although it has occasionally happened that one or two of my siblings could be here for the holiday, not this year. But we will have Greg's sister, Dawn and her son, Brad for which I am truly thankful. The final headcount is not yet in; there may be two or three more. Plenty of blessings to count--including the ones who are now missing and deeply missed--when we gather 'round the table. We'll just have to reach a little farther to count them.

I long for those Michigan Thanksgivings when we were young and the kids were babies--or still just little stars twinkling in our futures. Thanksgiving Day was hectic and exciting then. Sure, there were preparations--I remember one time having to shovel snow from the driveway before we could leave--but most of the work fell on our moms. They were the professionals.

Our day would be split into two parts, the first part usually going to my family. All of us would descend on Mom and Dad simultaneously. We were a big bunch, but there was always enough food for us to begin eating the moment we arrived, continuing to pick at the turkey and pies even while the dishes were being washed. There were barns and cats and ponds and ducks and hills and dirt roads--endless outdoor options for the guys who weren't interested in football. My sisters and I would gather in the kitchen, talking and eating and drinking and--I hope--helping Mom. We laughed a lot. Life was still ahead of us, and it all looked good. We felt like it would always be that way.

As the sun was moving toward its evening setting, we would usually be the first to leave. Next stop: Greg's mom's for more turkey and pie. And conversation and laughter. And love. Plenty of love in both places. You could feel it and see it and hear it making its presence known above all the noise and busyness of the day. You could even smell it--it smelled like turkey.

There will be love at our gathering this year, too. And delicious food and conversation and laughter. There will be wine and football and games around the table after dinner. It's supposed to be 70 degrees here, so no snow will be shoveled. But a Frisbee or Nerf toy may be tossed. Our guest list will most likely include Banjo and George, who will come with Meagan. They're rowdy and messy (like all boys), but they love our yard, so they will be welcome.

At then end of the day, I will be exhausted from counting all my blessings. But I will be happy. I love Thanksgiving, once it finally arrives.