Thanksgivings to Remember

 NOVEMBER 2021 BLOG   

I just love Thanksgiving. 

I know I’ve said this before,

but I do think of this day as 

very special.

When our young family

moved to a small town 

in New Jersey, my warm feelings 

for Thanksgiving grew.

Our new town had tree lined streets,

the scent of fireplaces on a cold day,

and the warmth of neighborliness.

All this beauty filled me with inner joy.

The thoughts linked with

this very American holiday seem to be 

whispering, “Be thankful, be grateful.”

The modern Thanksgiving celebrations 

in this lovely town were modern 

yet beautifully traditional. 

There was the high school football game 

glittering with cheerleaders

and  baton twirlers 

[three of which were our daughters].

There were the townsfolk 

rooting for the home team, 

the crisp weather of fall, 

and of course, the traditional 

turkey dinner awaiting loving family 

who reflected warmth and gratitude.

My daughter, Ramy, reminded me that 

I used to get up 5:30 in the morning to start 

roasting and basting the grand bird.

Somehow, I, one of the worst cooks on the

East Coast, found  turkeys that were very

kind to me and emerged from the 

oven edible.

Does the above description sound like

a Norman Rockwell scenario? 

Ah, but that’s exactly how I felt about it. 

We did this year after year. 

Grandparents joined our dinner, 

and the girls invited their friends 

for a later dessert. This was our 

Thanksgiving during our family’s 

young years.

It is now all a beautiful memory.

What made this particular dinner so special? 

What makes any group gathering special? 

I believe it’s the loving people who are

at the table; they create this atmosphere.

In our family, we really like being together. 

We enjoy the humor, appreciate the reminiscing

of family stories, and we love the spirit 

of the holiday moment.

Thanksgiving is that holiday where families come 

together and share affection and understanding

and gratitude; this is what gives

the holiday its beautiful essence.

I knew this the moment we handed 

the mantle over to our daughter 

who creates our current Thanksgiving.

While the venue has changed, it’s clear

that Thanksgiving is not a location, but

the gathering of loving and loved people.

Our daughter has her own traditions for that day, 

which we all enjoy. Her table is filled 

with many more people than mine was, 

as she invites her sisters and their husbands, 

in-laws, all our grandchildren, and good friends. 

Over the decades, my ideas about 

the importance of this holiday 

have crystallized.

I realize that on Thanksgiving we

celebrate the values we hold dear:

God, family, and country.

Thanksgiving is a national holiday 

that speaks to our best values. 

As my octogenarian self, 

I sorted through the values

that makes this fourth Thursday in 

November so very memorable to me.

        Love of Family

I love my family, and I really like them. 

Our girls have been special gifts to us 

since the day they entered our lives.

The atmosphere we hoped to create for

each daughter was a mom and dad who 

loved each other and adored them.

While no human being can claim 

perfect behavior every day of their lives, 

we can all have a deep affection for the 

families from which we came, and those 

we create with our beloved partner. 

Love is a very powerful and positive force.

It can create all that is good. 

The love I speak of starts in the family, 

then overflows to special friendships, colleagues, 

and those we meet along life’s way.

As you know, this kind of giving spirit 

and lovingness flows back to those who

give it and then some.

    Thankful for God

I am very thankful for God. 

I started speaking to God 

when I was a little girl.

My Great Uncle David gave me a 

Children’s Bible which said,

“If you speak to God, 

He will always listen.” 

I believed those words and 

started speaking to God.

Sometimes I got answers. 

[No, I didn’t hear voices,

but answers clearly became 

visible to my understanding.]

Sometimes these answers came speedily,

and sometimes I waited. 

The book Great Uncle David gave me 

so long ago now holds a place of

honor in my library.

When I got older, I realized 

that when I was on the God

track, it felt right and went smoothly.

I  learned God driven choices 

were very important in one’s life.

The people you choose to put in 

your life such as your spouse 

and your friends when Divinely 

guided benefit you in wonderful

ways.

I depend on God’s guidance for

those choices. There is so much 

to learn as a human being, and 

those choices one makes 

affect us and those we love. 

On Thanksgiving Day and everyday, 

I am always thankful for Divine guidance.

Thankful for Good Friends

My friends are treasures. 

I love the quote that says,

 “Good friends are the family you choose.” 

I consider my good and wise 

friends a gift and a blessing in my life.  

Friends were always a part of my life, 

but the friends I made once I had children, 

became beyond dear to me.  

Later when my girls married, the

new family they brought to us

were not only family, 

but became wonderful friends. 

I love them. 

Good friends are gifts, and I love mine.

    Thankful for Grandchildren

Ahhhhhhhhh! Our grandchildren,

we really, really like them.

Grandchildren automatically 

get a grandmother and grandfather’s love, 

but when they are very likable,

you just enjoy them so much; 

the feelings that grow

are a sheer delight.

My grandchildren range from high 

school freshman to college graduates. 

They are joyously appreciated and loved.

I am very thankful for these lovely, 

young people who are a shining light

in our lives. They are Divine gifts.

Thanksgiving Defined

It is on this holiday that 

one takes a moment to look back, 

to peek forward, and

to respect the now.

It is at this moment when you pause 

and appreciate all that has been 

given and say, “Thank You.”

Thank you  for the personal world 

of family and friends and Divine guidance.

It is a time for the renewal of dreams and

the creation of beautiful realities.

It is a time to share my thoughts with you, 

and hope you know your thoughts on 

discussed topics can always be shared with me.

I wish you, my wonderful readers, 

A Happy, Happy Thanksgiving and A

Very Happy Everyday. 

Sending much love,

      Helene