Happy Thanksgiving!!!

The tenor of my last entry here was not very pleasant, so I thought today would be a good day to write one with a better attitude.

I love Thanksgiving! It's not just all of the eating (although, I do love that). It is because I get to spend time with a lot of my extended family. Today the kids and I are driving to Miami to see my family. I am so blessed to have the family I have. My parents are wonderful and supportive. They have always put the rest of their family first. For that matter, they put other people's needs in general before their own. It has always been that way. My brothers, sister, and their families are also wonderful. They are all kind, thoughtful, and fun to be around. I love to spend time with each of them. I often hear about families that do not get along with one another or do not speak to each other. I feel so bad for them because they sure are missing out on some of the greatest joys in life. Some people are not able to get along with their in-laws. Mine are all amazing. I love them as though they are my natural siblings. (Actually, I also always got along with Eric's family as well. I miss his parents and his sister & her family. I still love them, too.) I will also get to see my Aunt Kay, Uncle Kent, their son Kasey, and his daughter today as well. I am excited about that, too. I love them and do not get to see them enough. I really wish I could see all of my extended family. I have not seen some of them for years and I miss them. Perhaps I should arrange some kind of family reunion so we could all get together.

Aside from my family, I am also thankful that I am so rich. I realize that I make a small enough amount money that my kids qualify for free lunches at school, but I am still rich when compared with so many other people in the world. My kids get free lunch at school. They do not have to worry about going to bed with an empty stomach. There are children starving every day all over the world. They have a home. It is not what most people would consider large enough for a family of our size, but they sleep in a warm place each night and have shelter from the elements. We have clothing that fits and keeps us warm. We have clean water in our home. A huge amount of people in the world do not have that We live in America; the best country in the world...recession or no recession. Our government may not be perfect, but it is way better than circumstances in many, many other countries. I can't even imagine having to live in a third world country or a country in which being female is a bad thing. We have freedom here; many people do not. I also have amazing friends. I am not sure how I have been so blessed to have them in my life, but they are wonderful and I love them all.

I am going to try to keep all of this in mind as we go into the holiday season. That seems to be a bit of a stressful time for a lot of people so I am in good company with that one. I really am blessed and live a great life. I'm glad that Thanksgiving comes along this time of year. It helps me to take a little time to focus on how many great things I have going for me in my life. I hope everyone out there has a great Thanksgiving today and is able to remember the things they are thankful for.