This Thanksgiving we (myself, Husband, the two boys, and our two dogs) will be heading up to my parents house. I have quite a bit of anxiety over this due to the rapid progression of my dad’s Alzheimer’s. I would say that about 95% of the time he is not who I remember him to be and that during that period he may not know who I am. It is stressful. It is hard to accept. It is not what past visits to my old childhood home with my husband and children used to be.
It is not all doom and gloom by any means. I love the feel of going home again. I love watching my boys erase the worry and tiredness from around my mom’s eyes as she laughs and builds marble mazes with them. I love how the boys have no reserve about leaping into their Grandpa’s lap and tickling him. He may not know who they are but he likes them. He may not know who I am but he knows that he loves me.
So without further ado here is my list of things I am thankful for. It is lighthearted and in no specific order.
- Hot coffee, black and strong, first thing in the morning.
- The snoring of little boys fast asleep in their beds.
- Furry dog paws.
- Burt’s Bees lip balm.
- The great assortment of birds that visit our backyard even when they guilt me into trudging out in the rain to refill their feeders (shame on me for letting them run low in the first place).
- This link to a video of farting dinosaurs – it makes the boys and I laugh every time.
- Flannel sheets.
- Microbrew beer.
- The sound of the ocean.
- My vacuum cleaner.
- Waving neighbors.
- Our one acre of land on which sits our little house, complete with forest and mossy patch.
- All the people and places in my past, good and bad, that made me the person I am today.
- Spray ‘n wash.
- Kisses of both the lip and chocolate varieties.
- The smell of lemon verbena.
- Grilled cheese sandwiches.
- Books.
- Hot showers.
- My family & friends.
Shoes On The Wrong Feet 
Excellent list. So glad I clicked the farting dinosaur link – hilarious! Have a great holiday.
Hahaha – glad you liked the link, my boys ask to watch it all the time. 🙂 Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving as well.
Oh, shoes, I think this is an absolutely fantastic post! It is the things like these in life that are really worth appreciating, from the bigger things like family and friends to the little signposts of everyday life, such as flannel sheets and hot coffee. These are the things that make life happy. And so these are the very memory joggers that help us through the tougher times, too. Each time they remind us of happier times they make us feel just that little bit happier in the present, whatever we’re going through. I hope you and your family have been enjoying your Thanksgiving. 🙂
Thank you! I really believe it is the little everyday things that make life. Thanksgiving is just one day, just one meal, and while it is nice I do not find myself holding it in too high a regard. I think it is how you treat others and view the world day in and day out that matters most. My family and I had a nice Thanksgiving visit.
I like that you indicated it is in no particular order, especially because your family and friends are LAST! LOL
My list isn’t that specific, my family, dogs, friends, home and job in that order. Maybe I need to really think about specifics.
Nice post.
Thank you, it was fun to write! I considered not even including family and friends because in my book that just goes without saying. 🙂
Ha, you got me with the farting dinosaurs. Anyone who can admit that isn’t so bad. ; ) I’ll have to show it to the kids.
Well thank you, nothing like some farting dinosaurs to brighten your day!! I hope your kids enjoy it too.
Nice post! Yes, there is so much to be thankful for, isn’t there? Thanks for visiting my blog. I like yours as well 🙂
Big and small there are so many things to be thankful for. Thank you for your comment. I look forward to reading more of your creative writing on your blog.