My Blessings

Thanksgiving this year was celebrated in our home. Despite the traffic and the cold, windy weather, my sisters and their families showed up with homemade side dishes. My older sister and my niece showed up early in the morning to help me prep my very first turkey. It was fun, going through all the necessary steps with my sister there to guide me. When the turkey was in the oven, we chattted over freshly brewed coffee and buttery sweet cinnamon rolls.

And the strangest thing happened. In all of my thirty-seven years on this planet, I have always fussed over cleaning, preparing and making everything look perfect but this year, for some reason, I was different. I didn't stress when I realized that we didn't have any ice. I didn't fuss over ironing the tablecloth before placing it and I sat down at the kitchen table...a lot - just talking, laughing and enjoying my family's company. When dinner was over, i didn't rush to wash the dishes - it didn't even enter my mind.

I just sat back and relished. 
Savored every minute.
And it felt good. 

We had such a good time. The food was amazing and thankfully, the turkey was good too. The only thing missing was a couple of family members who couldn't be present, such my Mom, Step-Dad and nephews, Daniel and Jonathan. Their presence was definitely missed but it was difficult, very difficult not to feel completely blessed, sitting around the table with my family and my hubby. We took lots and lots of photos, as we usually do. And we surprised my sisters and my niece with their own individual birthday cakes at the end of the day - the perfect ending to a perfect day. 

I was worried that the holidays would bring me sadness but instead I felt happy and content. And maybe, just maybe this year's experiences - the good and the bad has brought some unexpected balance into my life because the things I thought were important are not anymore and the things that should have been are finally coming into focus. 

It was a great Thanksgiving - one I won't soon forget. I thank God for my family. And for the memories I captured through these photos. I will definitely cherish them forever.