Thankful

For those of you who don't know it, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It always has been, even when I was a child. We would go to my grandma's house about an hour away. There would be tons of aunts, uncles, and cousins there, and of course, Grandma. It was warm, and it smelled good. All the women would be crowded into Grandma's tiny hallway of a kitchen for last-minute preparations. We kids would go play outside in the snow-covered yard, adventuring, until it was time to eat. Then I would stuff myself on rolls and mashed potatoes -- a little turkey too. My aunt Nancy, years later after I had become an adult, told me how she remembered that I loved mashed potatoes, because she would see me eat so many of them on Thanksgiving. Some people think of Thanksgiving as a day of gluttony -- which it certainly can be. However, the way I think of it is as a day of being with family, feasting, and offering thanks to our God for the many blessings he has given us.

Whew! That was a long introduction. Yes, people, that was only the introduction. I wanted to list a few things that I am thankful for -- this being my favorite holiday and all -- before I go stuff that turkey and get it in the oven. This list isn't necessarily in order, but just in the order that they pop into my head. I feel like some of this may end up sounding cheesy and sappy, but I feel so strongly about gratitude and its importance. It can be easy sometimes to focus on what we don't have -- especially with Christmas looming just around the corner -- but Thanksgiving is a good time to reflect on what we truly do have.

• I am thankful for my family. I have been blessed with a kind husband who treats me with respect and dignity. My children are a blessing to me. They are helpful and loving, and they have strong testimonies. I have siblings and parents who love me. I have family by marriage who are good, kind people who seem to love me too. I have so many people in my life who uplift and support me. In a world where so many people are alone and bereft of any support, I am so grateful to be surrounded by those who love me, even if most of them are far from me.

• I am thankful for temporal blessings that make my life comfortable -- enough food to prepare a feast; nice clothing in good condition for me and my children and warm coats for when they have to go outside; a home that is a good shelter from the weather; two vehicles that are still running after all these years and now have no payments on them (woo-hoo!).

• I am grateful to have the restored Gospel. I know lots of people say that, but it has truly helped me avoid great unhappiness in my life. I am grateful to my parents for raising me in the Gospel so I could have a fighting chance. So many of my friends without the Gospel are not tethered to anything in this life, and they don't understand their purpose beyond the rat race, the tasks of this world. This world has some wonderful things to offer, but they pale in comparison to the things of the eternities.

• I am grateful for my ratty old piano. It was given to me for free. It needs to be refinished. It needs a new damper pedal (old one was broken off when I got it). It needs some of the wood replaced (the top piece is all buckled and cracking). It needs to be tuned. Yet, none of that seems all that important when I sit and play Christmas songs so Makenzie can sing along, or when I play "I Am a Child of God" and I hear Kellen singing from the other room. I have just enough minute skill to teach my children the basics, and I love to hear them playing ahead in their books, because they love music so much.

• I'm grateful for my ratty old sewing machine. (I'm sensing a theme here.) Even though it is older than Morgan (think dog years, people), it still runs without complaining, even though I have only had it tuned up one time in 15 years. I use it every day, and I get great joy from creating. Plus, it helps me give away some nice gifts.

I was thinking I would go on and on, but you get the gist. I am not a wealthy woman. In fact, right now I am a very non-wealthy woman as my husband is starting a company. Things are tight. We go without a lot of things, and yet, I don't feel the lack. We have a warm home and lots of people to snuggle with and laugh with. We are blessed with joy in this home. I defy any of you to listen to Liam singing "Bob the Builder" and not feel a little bit of joy. I hope you'll take time to count your own blessings, because even in the difficult times, there are so many blessings to count.