A Thanksgiving Plea ...

Growing up, I always imagined of having a house full of family, sitting around the fire, the smell of of a 25lb bird cooking, laughs and stories being told and shared on a day in which we all reflect on what is really important.

I am 37 now, and family is scattered all over the place. I leave my house at 5:30 a.m. and don't get home until 6:30 p.m. My wife works four days a week. My kids have activities it seems almost every other day if not every day. I forgot to take the trash out. My car needs $500 in repairs. My daughter's birthday party just ended at 1:30 p.m. and we need to be at my son's play at 2:30 and we are 45 minutes away and we just discover that we have a flat tire.

It now takes an hour and a half for a 45-minute grocery store trip. My 3-year-old daughter has not learned the concept of it's "my way or the highway" ... she seems to always win. 

You get where I am going with this right? Sound familiar? Yep, that is what I like to call a little thing called life. This day in age, if it is not one thing it is another. There seems to always be something there that is making an attempt to knock you down. And with the wish lists being made, the bills getting bigger, and the to-do list always longer than the done list, it is really easy to keep letting yourself get knocked down. 

The keyword there is "letting." You see, we all have a choice in how we chose to go through life, and I know for me, many of those days I do feel knocked down. I perhaps need a day in which I can really sit back and see what I do have and not worry about what I don't have. That day for me will be Nov. 24th 2011, Thanksgiving (and my daughter's 5th birthday). And I encourage all of you to really try and do the same. 

My life is filled with so much more positive energy than negative. And I need to absorb that. We have a great home, neighborhood, neighbors, and friends, and I need to appreciate that. My kids are all healthy and my wife is amazing, and I need to cherish that. My job, well it is a job and I do have one, and I need to be thankful for that. My family, although there won't be a house filled with it, I need to be thankful for the ones I do share it with. 

Not since I was a little kid, have I been so looking forward to this day. Some say Christmas is their favorite holiday. Others may say Easter. For me, it is always  Thanksgiving. Just something about that one day and being appreciative for what we have. There is no chaos of opening presents or numbing your fingers getting your kids toys opened and operable.

Waking up Thursday morning, watching the parades on TV, going to the Haverford vs. Upper Darby high school football game, coming home and enjoying the hours of that bird cooking in the oven and eating way more than we probably should.

It is a day to gather around with those close to you, sharing those laughs and stories, reflecting on what we do have, and at least for one day ... not letting life knock you down. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

P.S. I was able to change the tire and make it to my sons play, just in time!