A Day of Thanks…

Two years ago, I was giving thanks for the little baby growing inside of Kendra. Today, we celebrated our second Thanksgiving with Addie, though this year she was a much more active participant! She got the chance to try her first Thanksgiving meal, and loved every bite of turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. She sampled Auntie Kim’s shrimp dip, and was hooked! I admit, she double and triple-dipped her chip many times over the course of the afternoon.

Thanksgiving Day 1991 – me with my grandmother at my Auntie Debbie and Uncle Jerry’s house.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite traditions. I have many happy memories of big dinners at home, desserts with my extended family, and fun times with my siblings and cousins. The typical fare consists of turkey with my mom’s homemade stuffing (I have never tasted anything as good as what she makes, and my plate is always heaping with stuffing more than any other item at the table), cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, squash, banana fritters, and rolls. This year’s desserts included an assortment of pies, coupled with eggnog and coffee.

Auntie Debbie preparing the food.

Though the food is amazing, being with my family is the best part of this holiday. We gather in the early afternoon to watch football, snack on appetizers, and catch up on our latest news. Dinner is a quiet affair – we’re too busy eating to talk much. After dinner we spend more time talking, often listening to the aunts and uncles tell stories of the old days. Dessert doesn’t come until after some cleaning up and napping.

This past year has been a particularly good one, and I have a lot to be thankful for 🙂 I don’t usually make a list, but I have been reading a lot about how writing down your gratitude has tangible positive effects on your well-being. So, here goes… I am thankful for:

1. My beautiful, healthy, happy daughter. She is an incredible source of joy in my life, and has made me happier, more patient, and helped me develop a healthier sense of perspective on the truly important things in life.
2. My wife, Kendra. She is my partner in crime, my rock, and keeps me grounded.
3. My sister, brother and mom. We are a tight-knit unit, and have taken care of each other through tough times, and celebrated the good times together as well.
4. My entire extended clan of aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, nieces, nephews, great aunts, great uncles, and second cousins. I grew up in a large, Irish-American family. We always have each others back. That kind of support network seems rare these days, and I am so grateful to have been born into one.
5. My in-laws. Mine are generous, kind, and loving.
6. My health. Yes, I am young, but I do not take this for granted.
7. My home. We have a roof over our heads – not everyone does.
8. My job. It’s not always easy, but I love going to work everyday. My students are pretty terrific, and they make each day an adventure.
9. My experiences. The good and the bad…
10. The little things. Like the Japanese maple in my yard, mint chocolate chip ice cream, a good book, flannel sheets, and all the myriad things that often go unnoticed, yet make life a little more pleasant.

Today was a great day, and I am thankful for that as well. (And for the new Canon Rebel DSLR that my sister bought – the pictures on this post are a combination of both of our shots!)