Thanksgiving

It’s Thanksgiving week in the United States though I’ve seen friends doing a daily thanks post from the start of the month. It’s good to remember what you should be thankful for any day of the year. We can take things for granted far too easily in the hustle and bustle of our lives.

I’m thankful for the gifts and talents God gave me. Despite what life has thrown at me, I’ve always been able to write. Most of those stories won’t see the light of day beyond those closest to me because some are too personal or they were part of learning. I can sit and write most days, even when my multiple sclerosis has other ideas about my physical ability. I see it as a business I have to take seriously now, but it’s a primary source of fun in my life. Writing has brought people into my life I would never have met otherwise.

My husband is another thing I thank God for. We’ve weathered a lot as a couple and are still together. We keep learning and growing into who we each should be and how we fit as a couple. When things click with God’s guidance, we gain a synergy that enhances our projects in ways we could never do alone.

I can thank my parents for teaching me creative and mechanical skills. Not everyone has a mother who is an artist extraordinaire, who could have gone on a different path rather than wind up being my mother. Growing up on a farm allowed me to learn a lot about mechanics and animal husbandry first hand. I learned how to build, wire, and fix things. This has led to helping me maintain my cars and homes over the years. It also helped with most of my jobs. The creative side helped enhance engineering ideas, but also gave me plenty of fun hobbies to fill in my time with writing being the primary one.

I can thank God for long-lived grandparents that encouraged me and taught me things. I still have one grandmother who is alive and still drives at 92. We have girls’ day out adventures and she has always been one of my biggest cheerleaders. I’ll never forget the old ways of making maple syrup, the fun of chicken and pig raising, and fall slaughters thanks to my great grandfather.

Most of all, I can thank God for making me who I am and having the patience for me to come around to letting Him become the pilot of my life. I’m a full-fledged nerd, geek and creative. A combo I don’t always find, but I have kindred spirits I know out there in the writing world. It’s fun when I find them because we can encourage each other with our uniqueness. God has never failed me, though I’ve failed Him. He is patient and loving with how He corrects me and gets me back on the right path with Him. I would not be where I am today if I did not turn to Him when I did.

There are far more things I am grateful for and I have far too many friends to list. I’m doing my best not to take any of it for granted. God had a plan when He set it all in motion and it’s proved challenging, but an extremely rewarding journey overall.

Take some time to note what you are thankful for. Make sure that you tell God and the people in your life thank you.