Be thankful for family and friends
By SHANNON WILLIAMS
Sometimes we can be so overwhelmed with life that we often forget the simple essence of things, which can quite possibly lead to us losing sight of what’s most important. Such a thing recently happened to me.
It all started a couple of months ago when my aunt and cousin from out of town phoned me to say they wanted to spend Thanksgiving in Indianapolis with me and the rest of our family, which lives here. I thought it would be great to see them again so I immediately agreed for dinner to be held at my home. However, from the time of our initial conversation to a couple of weeks ago, the out-of-town guest list somehow grew from two to 12. It not only grew, but it grew without my knowledge or consent.
When I found out about the additional guests, I immediately began thinking negatively. “Why didn’t they call and ask me if it was OK to invite additional people” and “There’s not enough room for a sit-down dinner of nearly 20 people” were a couple of my initial thoughts.
As the days went by and Thanksgiving began to draw nearer, I tried to think of possible alternatives or solutions to my dilemma. I thought of everything from my family and me going to Kentucky rather than have our relatives make the trip here, to renting a place large enough to host the type of dinner I envisioned. I thought of it all…or so I thought.
When I ran the idea by my aunt who is now the matriarch of our large family, she wasn’t having it. They were coming to Indianapolis, Thanksgiving dinner was going to be at my house, and everyone was going to have a good time. Period!
As I resigned myself to the reality that was before me, I began to really assess things for what they were. Quite simply, my out-of-town family wanted to spend Thanksgiving with me, my siblings and the rest of our Indianapolis family.
When someone has a desire to spend time with you, it’s a blessing. It’s an even bigger blessing when they are willing to travel great distances to see you. Granted, it would have been nice if my relatives asked me if it was OK to bring additional people, but in the grand scheme of things, that small, minute detail doesn’t even matter. What does matter is that we are family and we’ll be together over the holiday.
I’m now really excited about Thanksgiving dinner this year. In addition to our family from Kentucky, my cousin from California will also be joining us. We’ve all been assigned items to contribute (I got off easy with rolls) and we’ll have a nice Thanksgiving dinner together as a family. After dinner, I plan to pull out some home movies and we’ll reminisce on years gone by and reflect on people who have passed away. Out of all the things that we do, the most important part will be our togetherness.
When my mother passed away six years ago the holidays were devastating…it was such an emotional toll to participate and be present in what was supposed to be joyous occasions. The old saying is that time heals all wounds, but in actuality, it doesn’t. Time only makes it easier to accept and deal with the wounds that you have. While I miss my mother more than words can describe, I’m thankful that I was blessed enough to have her in my life. I still carry the pain of her death, but that pain is more bearable when I’m surrounded by those whose life she touched.
This Thanksgiving I challenge you to remember and acknowledge the blessings that God has bestowed upon you. This has been a very difficult and trying year for many of us, but in it, there are still blessings and gifts.
Don’t become so consumed with everything life brings your way that you fail to recognize the essence of all things great. This week and beyond, give thanks.
Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!
