Day of Thanks

I know that Thanksgiving is mainly an American holiday, but I personally think it is a good time to review all the wonderful things that I am thankful for. For the first time since 1966 my mom's dad was at our family Thanksgiving meal with my mom's half brother and sister, for this I am thankful. This was also the first time my dad's mom was not with us as she passed away in September, yet I have many years to look back on of wonderful memories I shared with her, for this I am thankful. My mom's sister who has struggled with MS for years was able to come and with minimal assistance she was able to enjoy this day with her dad as well, for this I am thankful. I was able to talk with Gee's sister on the phone to wish her a happy Thanksgiving, for this I am thankful. To be able to spend the day with my family, I am thankful.

As I look towards the future I hope with every fiber of my being that this is the last Thanksgiving Gee and I will be apart. As we are ever closer to getting married I am excited. However the time is coming when I will have to return to the US and start filling out visa applications and it is daunting. I am a little frustrated at the hoops we will be jumping through and ultimately the decision of when Gee will be able to come to the US is out of my hands completely. My desire is for Gee to be in the US this summer, but we will have to wait and see. In the end I am sure a few months will seem like nothing compared to the time we have already spent apart; and truly I am thankful for all the wonderful times we have had already even with such great distance between us. I am thankful for the amazing person I have the privilege of spending the rest of my life with.

As I reflect on all the things I am thankful for I realize I need to be thankful everyday not just once a year. So here is to a year in which I am always going to try and count my blessings first and everything else will fall into place.