Retail stores were pushing us into Christmas shopping before we were able to enjoy Halloween and long before our family Thanksgiving gatherings.
Apparently, even the turkeys were upset with the rush; they were running into traffic offering to be part of the Thanksgiving dinners. I narrowly missed a whole group of them recently on Pte. Aux Barques Road as I was driving to my daughter’s house.
Thanksgiving dinner is surly one of the best meals of the year – I know it’s one of my favorites. I was lucky this year because I was able to get in on two of them. The first feast was celebrated with two of my daughters’ families just before we headed south. We all enjoyed the works — turkey, stuffing and of course pumpkin pie. By the time this column is in print, I’ll have polished off my second Thanksgiving dinner with another daughter’s family living in Florida.
Raising four daughters was no easy task but it sure pays off around the holidays. It also has provided an opportunity to visit distant places for mini-vacations and experience big city events. Throw in all the grandkids produced and the great help we receive, and as the t-shirts proclaim, “Life is good!”
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on why we are grateful. At the top of my list is having the chance to enjoy all the year’s celebrations and gatherings with each member of my family. I’m so grateful I raised daughters who became such good cooks and such good moms. It makes me proud.
It’s hard to resist (I really don’t try) the great meals they fix and I don’t even have to help with the dishes.
I’m very grateful for all my friends and their families who often invite me to join in their festivities. In times of need, good friends are always there for me. I’m grateful for good health and the wonderful doctors and other healthcare providers who help me out. I’m very thankful for the opportunity to present my column via the HURON DAILY TRIBUNE and the great staff who represent it. I’m also grateful for my reader’s comments, good or bad; I sure enjoy hearing from them.
I gave up on politics years ago and am thankful I did but I still think I could do a better job for the middleclass people than what is offered today. I’m thankful that our troops are at last coming home and so grateful for the contributions and sacrifices they have made. I’m hopeful we can keep them here at home and hope our leaders will stay out of other conflicts.
Now it’s time to rush out and find those better sales. You know, the ones they said you would never see again back in October. It’s time to actually enjoy (not be irritated by) those Christmas tunes blaring at you everywhere you venture. When you hear the tinkling bells ringing as you exit a store and see the big red pot, toss a little extra in this year.
As I See It, the Salvation Army has had a lot of work to do this past year, keeping up with all those it provides for. We need to be thankful for all we have and recognize there are so many families with less.
I sure hope all my family, friends and neighbors enjoyed their Thanksgiving as much as I did. Pat and I are both very thankful to live in the best of both worlds; Port Austin in the summer and fall, Key Largo in the winter and spring.
As I said, LIFE IS GOOD!