I am Thankful...

Today I was reminded of days gone by. Back in 2002, after our Thanksgiving day together, Kimberly sent her jouneral entry to me. It filled my heart and I never forgot it. I am posting it on the Chatterbox as a way of saying; I am grateful for each of you, of the times we have spent together and of the sheer joy you have brought into my life. For those of you who will join Terrence (Dad) and I this Thanksgiving...I can't wait to see you, to pray in thanksgiving with you, to spend time with you again and to share a meal. For those who will be somewhere else this year, I pray you will pass the love around the table until everone is full and be thankful, for the more you give away the more you will have. Happy Thanksgiving. You are loved...

-By Mimi

Journal entry, thanksgiving 2002

..."it's funny-that family thing. We gather at mom's. All coming from
separate lives--with separate desires of the heart--with separate internal
struggles and emotions. Whether spoken or unspoken, we know. We're reminded
of mom's loss and battle with elderly parents through the special leaves she
adds to the thankful tree. And the silliness of the S-C's--trying to lighten
the load of heaviness that is felt, too. Yet, knowing...we go on with the
day...only to realize our tradition is too being deep-seeded in the hearts
of each of us there.

We all congregate in the kitchen. Kids disperse and make there way to their
separate hide-a-ways. Girls go to the nursery and boys, who-knows-where, to
seek adventure. Deet home sharing her stories of college and making all of
us wish we were 18 again (only for a moment). Mom and the girls scurry in
the kitchen. Shannon brings the traditional "beef log". Tradition? Why
yes....Mom makes the best turkey breasts of the season, Shannon steps out
with food that pushes our taste buds to the edge (and we like it). The S-C's
bring the cheescake-o-the-day, Mary makes an awesome salad, Marleen and
Shannon bring the dueling squash while Deet scurries to cut the fruit and
adds her personal dressing touch to an old tried and true. Terr leads in the
prayer of thanks--more tailored for the children but we know the deeper
prayer of thanks in his heart. Kids settle at their respective places that
Mimi has made so special. After everyone is served, Mom sits in amazement
that the food actually looks good despite not making it all herself and
grateful that she didn't have to.

After the feast, we move to the dining room to share past tails of
vacations. As we laugh together, I find myself longing for more memories
together. I think of how fleeting the years pass and pray that God will
grant us with more memories that will make us laugh together for a long time
to come.

As the day goes on, we settle into just who we are--Deet off to J----'s, the
boys at the bar working in the activity book, Molly upstairs in the nursery
reading Wizard of Oz to the girls (and Joey), the men lounging in the den
pontificating on who-knows-what, Mom in the kitchen trying to make sense of
the mess, I wondering around trying to find a place where I would be most
helpful.

Tradition--oh yes--tradition. And as I get older, these traditions get
fonder. No longer do I long for another tradition or a deeper meaning for
the day of thanks. I cherish ours because the day is shaped by the people
who are in it. We give our hearts the way we know how. And that makes our
tradition so unique and not like any other. That makes us a family.

My prayer is that we all continue to deepen our love for eachother, to
recognize the needs of one another, to cherish our differences and to
embrace our tradition and long for more.

From the heart.
Kim