Thankful...

So here we are on the eve of Turkey Day! (sorry no ToFurkey, Frankie :o( ). I have had the weirdest last week and well, lets just say I have so many things to be thankful for.

This year is different. I am not in the Big C celebrating with my siblings or parents. I am in Ttown at my home with one of my best friends, Tracy, & her family (Mike & Isabel) hosting Thanksgiving. To be honest this was unorthodox at first for my mind to process. I mean, I am the family girl, I NEVER miss a holiday with my parents & siblings. This year though we opted to stay home. Not that there are any issues with the fam, on the contrary, we are in great spirits with our immediate families. We decided that Thanksgiving really is about being thankful. Tracy is family. She always has been. The opportunity to celebrate a holiday with her was something I did not think twice about.

Though my immediate family won't be crowded around my table, I will feel them in every recipe that I complete. My mother's dressing sits waiting in the fridge for tomorrow beneath a beautiful sweet potato casserole. I was up until midnight last night making a Whipping Cream Poundcake that my mother is known for. We plan to watch football, the Macy's parade & veg out. All the traditions I experienced growing up are built into my psyche. They travel through my hands as I add each egg to the cake batter. I feel them as I think about that Southern Cornbread Dressing. Yes my family is two hours away, but again in many ways they are right here.

I am thankful for that.

For Tracy, Mike & Isabel who traveled from St. Louis to Bama away from all their family for a vacation & chose us as their destination.
For my mother & father who taught me that blessings are never the items we receive but the love passed from giver to recipient.
For brothers & sisters that gather around the table to share memories of our youth.
For Marcus & his amazing acceptance of who I am.
For Peanut Butter (my dog) for his unquestioning love for me no matter how grumpy I might be. For my other sister: Stacie. A friend who has been there through so much that I wonder sometimes if we have ever really been apart even though distance reminds me we have.
For gifts intangible: my writing, my art, my perception.
For blogging: I am thankful for all my followers, for all my readers... you all make me want to check my blog constantly! ;o)
For this moment. This time to be on earth and type an entry. No matter how trite - time is precious & moments are fleeting.
For reminding me that family is always with me no matter where I am and that family is more than blood.
For the friends I have made on here & Twitter. Truly amazing people who I now cannot imagine my life without. Thank you.
For a manuscript I am really enjoying!
So now that my list is long and lengthy I leave you with this thought:

As each day rises to be met, may you meet it with an open mind and heart.

As the minutes pass may you remember the feeling, the passion, the love around you.

As the night falls around your shoulders may you recount the days' events with a smile.

As yours eyes close and dreams weave into your mind may you welcome the sweet release of sleep that comes from a day in a life worth lived.

As the night becomes the day may you welcome the new dawn with an optimistic mind, eyes ready to see the good and a heart that welcomes the new as it discovers the best of the past.