HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

I’m a teensy bit wound up today.

It’s Friday.  My favourite day of the week to begin with, so we’re off to a good start right outta the gate.  And it’s a long weekend.  Can I get a “hallelujah”!?! I’m going out for dinner tonight with the girls to celebrate our October birthdays, and I’m so excited.  I haven’t been to East Side Mario’s in ages, and I’m drooling just thinking about it!

Tomorrow, I’m going on a quick morning shopping trip to find a birthday present for my nephew, then I think I’m meeting up with my sister and my niece to see the movie Hotel Transylvania II.  As everyone knows, the movie theatre is my happy place, so I’m very excited to be going to a movie, and not only that, supporting their school fundraiser – it’s a great deal, $12.00 for the movie ticket, medium popcorn, small drink, and a portion of the tickets sales goes towards the school!  My kind of fundraiser!!

Of course, Sunday we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving, as well as my nephew’s birthday, and it’s one of my favourite days of the year.  I’m looking forward to going to church, then spending the day with family, as we’ll be gathering at Mom’s for turkey dinner and pumpkin pie.  I’m in charge of bringing the Pumpkin Cheeseball, and it was such a hit at book club last week that I can’t wait to make it again! 

I love to pause and think of all I have to be thankful for.  I do it often, but I like that there’s a holiday to mark it, and remind those of us who don’t do it every day to really stop and think about it. There was a Thanksgiving five years ago when I sat in church feeling bitter and angry and sad, and thinking I didn’t have much to be grateful for.  I was wrong, of course, but I remember all too well that feeling – that dark gloom, the resentment, the emptiness that comes with loss greater than you can comprehend.

I’m glad that feeling left, for the most part.  I’m glad that I was able to move past it, and move forward with a happy and grateful heart.  I’m glad that when bad things happen now, I am able to take a step back and still look around to find the things I should be thankful for.  Because no matter how bad it is, there is always, always, something to be thankful for.

I’m thankful for my tribe - for the family and friends who have my back and never let me down; for the people who love me despite my crazy quirks.   I’m thankful for a roof over my head, food in my fridge, a place of employment I enjoy going to every day, and for a tight-knit community that I can count on.  I’m thankful for the hobbies that bring me joy – reading, writing, photography… Jimmy Fallon ;)  I’m grateful for the little things in life that make me smile, and the big opportunities that remind me: This is a good life.  And you are living it.

In the walk of life, the bad days are going to come, unfortunately.  But I think I might even be a little grateful for them.  I wish we didn’t have them, but they make me appreciate the good days even more.  Because of those bad days, dark times, grief & sadness….

I can now get super-little-kid-excited about good times such as this.

Look at the leaves.  Savour the turkey.  Gobble down the pumpkin pie.  Soak up the time spent with family.  Take pictures.  Say a prayer for those who are in dark places.  Say thank you if you are not in one yourself.

Happy Thanksgiving, pals :)