I AM THANKFUL FOR . . . . . . .

The holidays officially begin for me on November 1st and will continue until Valentine’s Day. I’m not a Halloween person so I wait until the foolishness of Halloween is over and then my brain goes into HOLIDAY MODE. I’m not physically able to do, nor will I have the opportunity to do all the things I used to do but my brain does not know that yet. So, in my mind, I plan to do everything. And, you know what? It’s okay to celebrate in your mind. Since November 1st, I have been thinking of all the wonderful, beautiful, memorable things I have had in my life and how thankful I am to be me. Overall, I am a very happy person. No, everything has not always been perfect. It is not perfect now and may not be perfect in the future. It just that I have learned neither to dwell on nor remember all the negatives that have reared their ugly heads from time to time. I have learned that a person can be just about as happy with his/her lot as he/she wants to be. Sure, I’m aware that there are wife beaters in the world. There are child molesters and monsters of other descriptions. They need to be dealt with in swift fashion. No one should ever have to put up with that sort of thing.

I was never beaten by my husband. He was pretty rough on some of our kids and for that I’m truly sorry. I wish I could have done more to protect them. But I did try to discourage him from taking his anger out on the kids and we all learned to do what we had to do to survive. I loved my kids and did all I could to protect them. I rarely ever sent them to their father to ask his permission to go somewhere or do something. I made those decisions and sometimes neglected to tell their father just exactly what the kids were doing. He was never easy to live with and sometimes he was unkind, but I chose to be happy with whatever circumstances I found myself. Yes, I have complained from time to time but I chose to think happy thoughts and not let the negatives take over my life.

Why am I telling you all of this? I am so thankful for the many good things in my life that I’m going to share some of them with you.

I am thankful for my faith in God. I’m thankful for a discerning mind that has been able to comprehend the Plan of Salvation and to know and appreciate the truthfulness of the Gospel. I am thankful that I know there is a hereafter where I will be able to associate with those with whom I’ve been privileged to mingle and love in this life.

I’m thankful for the children to whom I gave birth. Knowing what I know now, I would do it again and be thankful for the blessing. I’m thankful for the grandchildren they have given me and the great, grandchildren who have and will come into my life.

I’m thankful for the talents I have been given. I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to share my talents. I only hope the talents I have been given have uplifted others and have, perhaps, given others hope and a realization that they can do good things.

I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to do good things and help others. My personal preference is that I can do something for someone without them knowing it was me.

I’m thankful for the health I’ve enjoyed most of my life. I’m still reasonably healthy but I move more slowly than I used to. My brain still works most of the time and for that I’m REALLY thankful.

I’m thankful for a warm home that I love and to live in a town that I also love. I’m thankful for the people around me who care about me and are happy to see me. I’m thankful for little children who brighten my life when they run up to me at Primary and say, “Maolin, I love you.”

I’m thankful for my life’s experiences: Some great and some not so great. But the combination makes up who I am. I’m thankful for the wonderful things that have been invented to make our lives richer and more meaningful---and more comfortable.

I’m thankful for the wisdom of my children who help me make difficult and sometimes painful decisions. I’m thankful that Jack is where he can get the care he needs from people who do it lovingly and patiently.

I’m thankful for my love of reading and that I now have time to indulge that love. I’m thankful for the sun that shines in my bedroom windows in the mornings and for the moon that rises (also in the east) that I can enjoy at night when I go to bed. I’m thankful for cool nights all summer that make sleeping so pleasant just by opening windows and not the artificial coolness of an air conditioner --- although, I should clarify that by mentioning how much I appreciated air conditioning when we visited Arizona and other warm places.

I am thankful for thunderstorms and rainbows. I am thankful for the smell of new mown hay. I am thankful for the bleating of newborn lambs. I am thankful for “Indian Summer” days in the autumn and for the smell of lilacs wafting on the breeze in the spring. I am thankful for family get-togethers --- whenever they happen. I am thankful for newly fallen snow. I am thankful for the Wayne County Fair in August with all the accompanying hoopla and fun. You all should come to Loa and share the Fair with us. You would have a great time. I’m thankful for all of you and I love you all.