Thanksgiving Tradition and Gratitude is What Life’s About

For a new holiday tradition, plan how you want, with who you want.

We can celebrate holidays or not, be with family, or not, or handpick our own people. This is about mine.

Gratefulness is one of the most powerful energy fields we can put into the world, and Thanksgiving Day and the holiday season present an opportunity for us to focus on those things that cause us to feel that way. As I pondered this and all the good things in life, I felt an urgency to tell anyone who reads my work how grateful I am for spending even 30 seconds of your precious attention on something I wrote. A writer without a reader is a sad thing, indeed. Since I got serious and more intentional about my family and relationships blog, you have rewarded me with your attention, comments, and suggestions. Seeing my readership grow is exciting and motivates me to work harder and find more subjects to research and present to you. When I search for subjects to write about, my singular goal is to find what information would really help people with their quality of life and relationships. If you keep reading and let me know if it helps, I will keep writing.

Today, I am in San Antonio, Texas, with my husband, two dogs, and a sphinx kitty. We are visiting my only surviving child, daughter Casey, in the town where I raised her. Casey and my husband are my two best friends, my ride-and-die peeps. The big reward of raising a child who is an adult is like this: mom and daughter in the kitchen, preparing a meal together and laughing over a glass of wine. Watching her adulting, setting up her apartment in a festive Thanksgiving motif, placing hors d’oeuvres around, and the attention to detail, well, there is nothing better. We are thinking of my son, Benjamin, who left this world 12 years ago when he was tragically killed in Afghanistan at age 24. He was a United States Marine Scout Sniper, almost finished with his contract, and ready to come home and start a new life. Unfortunately for us, he didn’t come home alive. We both express gratitude for his life and our time with him, though we miss him more than words can express. He’s buried in Ft Sam Houston National Cemetery, a stone’s throw away from our friendsgiving celebration.