The pre-pre-pre-pre Thanksgiving post.

The holidays ... ok "Christmas" ... as a child, could NOT arrive quickly enough. The countdown would begin usually when my mom would remind us about the upcoming changing of the clocks. From there, Halloween would follow, not too much later would be Thanksgiving and then - what felt like 192 days later - Christmas.

As a kid, Halloween day lasted about 42 hours. Twilight would occur and shortly thereafter, Karin and I would be on our way to the house of a third friend. (Karin and I lived in the hills - where we had no neighbors to trick OR get treats from. Plus we had no sidewalks ... or streetlights. Two little kids walking in the dark on a major road, even then, was a recipe for disaster.)

Christmas occurred in our house anytime from December 20th onwards. Once I was about 5 or so, my Dad would typically sign up to work either on the 24th or the 25th, thereby allowing his coworkers to be at home with their young families. I didn't mind this at all - heck, most times this meant we'd celebrate more than once and there's not a kid alive who would turn down THAT idea. The tree in the living room would be so tall that the tip would bend backwards (which was ok, we never had an angel for the top anyway) and we'd be able to hang every ornament ... even the "ugly" or "boring" ones. (Oh stop it - you have those ones, too. The "we really SHOULD hang this little drummer boy on the tree even tho' ... well ... yuck".)

Thanksgiving was a whole other matter. It was a day of football (and the pre-game show, the pre-pre game analysis, the pre-pre-pre-game stats, and the parade of course) and food and boring older cousins and very distant relatives that we saw only during funerals, weddings or other necessary "family" times. Oh sure - there were the "fun" relatives too - my dad's sisters with their families, and my mom's aunts, but sometimes there'd be a few "clunkers" in there and, as a rambunctious child or obnoxious teen, it was a big yawn of a day. My love and understanding of football started as a young adult, and my desire to cook was encouraged on the less important days. (Honestly, my folks had a ridiculously tiny kitchen. Having one more person in there asking "can I do this" woulda been more hindrance than help.)

I was also the only one at the table who had no desire to eat themselves stupid. Even today, I'm the skinniest member of my immediate family, and I eat until I'm comfortable and only if I'm actually hungry. Just because the calendar tells us that this is a day of massive meals and truckloads of thankfulness doesn't mean I'm going to pile up my plate. I enjoy food, BELIEVE ME I do, but food comas don't appeal to me at all.

In my early to mid-twenties, Thanksgiving was spent with family or friends and an early night to bed, so that Karin and I could be at the mall at the crack of dawn (or shortly before) the next day. We never did much actual shopping on those days. Mostly we'd catch some coffee and a danish at the bakery, and then pick up a sweater or a scarf or earrings for our sisters or mothers, and we'd spend the bulk of the day watching the bleary-eyed husbands doing their best to make up for the previous days "sin" of sitting in front of the TV and not helping with the meal.

From then until now 'tho, Thanksgiving really IS my day of thanks. I am blessed beyond measure, 'tho it'd be easy to not see the good that occurs every day. I have a warm safe home when others shuffle through ash saving whatever memories are left. I have the love of two healthy pets, who sit next to me each day while I enjoy their purrs and a good book. I have family who stand by me sans judgement, worrying about me but not letting it show - for my sake. I have friends, near and far, who talk with me and provide warmth, laughter, encouragement, jokes and smiles. I have love and compassion available to me with no limitations and no strings attached.

I may spend too much time writing about what's wrong with me and the various failures in my health, employment, or life, but rest assured there is MUCH that is good. I'll do my best between now and the end of the year to enjoy a better balance.

Here comes the "Tidy Wrap Up" ... beauty and blessings abound. Notice them, accept them, embrace them, cherish them. They really ARE there, possibly just waiting, for you to be thankful.