Happy Thanksgiving!!

The holidays have always been very special to me. I have always loved Thanksgiving because to me it means family. Family that you are in your lives every day, family that you don't get to see often, and friends that are family. I realize my blessings on more days than Thanksgiving, but it is a day put aside to celebrate family with your family.

This year was a different Thanksgiving for me. I have had busy Thanksgiving Days in my past years where there were too many places to visit in just one day. Some years, Thanksgiving spilled over into the weekend because there were so many stops that it wasn't possible to make all in one day. This year was the first year that I can remember that I have been alone on Thanksgiving Day.

I started to get depressed, only at first. I realized that this year was the first year out of 9 that I haven't spent Thanksgiving Day with Sadie. I realized that out of 33 years, I had never not eaten turkey with my Mom on Thanksgiving Day (and the weeks that lingered after Thanksgiving until the turkey was finally gone.) I realized that I didn't get to make a drive to Russellville, that I dread every year because it seems like such a long drive to go and come back in one day, and see my family. I realized that I didn't go to Murfreesboro and eat at my Mammaw's house with that side of my family. I realized that I didn't have the most important people in my life around me this year for Thanksgiving.

But just as the first tear started to fall, I then realized that I didn't have to have them there with me that day to be thankful for them. This year has been a struggle for me, full of sacrafices. And I decided, I was going to sacrafice this Thanksgiving Day for many good things in the future.

There will be many more Thanksgivings that I won't have to work graveyard. There will be many more Thanksgivings when Mom and Wayne are not in Colorado. There will be many Thanksgivings when I will be dreading driving to Russelleville just to turn around and drive back that afternoon. There will be many Thanksgivings when my girls will come with their families to my house. There will be many Thanksgivings that I can show my family how important they are to me. And I will be more thankful for my family every day.

I also hope to express to my friends who are like family how special it was to have special made spinach dip and chicken cheeseball for Thanksgiving because it was very thoughtful and delicious and my absolute favorites. I'm not sad.....I'm thankful.