It’s Thanksgiving!
I wonder about the wishbone. Do kids still make a wish and pull the bone? I never hear anyone mention it anymore. Perhaps turkeys don’t come with wishbones anymore.
My mother was one who was openly thankful every day, and tried to pass that on. Whenever there was a complaint, about anything, mom would say, “Well, just be thankful that”… something else didn’t happen. When someone, like me, whined about having to share the tiny bedroom with two brothers, I’d hear, “Be grateful you have a roof over your head.” I’d grump quietly, what did she know, she never had a brother! Some of her words have stuck in my memory, as crystal clear as the snap of a wishbone.
Does having another birthday make me long for younger days? I’m grateful to have made it through those days with happy memories and good friends who share them. But no, I don’t want to relive the drama, the angst, the uncertainties, and the crisis of zits! I’m so thankful to have spent every birthday since my fourteenth with my first and last boyfriend. I’m grateful God chose him for me, and thankful I was gracious enough to accept that gift. I’m grateful for the life we’ve had together and thankful for our good health, pleasant living conditions, grateful for our faith, and the love in our home. I’m thankful for all the diverse people that have been sheltered in our homes for all these years, and all the birthdays celebrated. I’m filled with gratitude that on Thanksgiving Day at my daughter’s home we’ll welcome a grandson home safe and sound from his tour of duty in South Korea. Following Thanksgiving Day, he and his wife will go to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to await the birth of their first child. How thankful we are to be seeing great-grandchildren in our family.
With all this to be thankful for, I can hear my mother saying, “Don’t stop being thankful just because Thanksgiving Day is over. You can be thankful every day of your life and it still won’t be enough.”
Maybe I’ll snap the wishbone this year. I will wish for good health and happiness for all our friends and family, and add a prayer for blessings on your day.