A Little Thanksgiving at Christmas

 Today is Christmas morning.  My daughter and her maybe soon to be husband are here, and I'm so grateful that she's found a man that all of us: her dad,myself and my parents, love as much as though he were a part of our family forever.  Last night the above mentioned people were here (and once my brother in law arrives today from Florida, that will pretty much comprise our entire family unit for all practical purposes.) and we celebrated the coming of the King to this Earth as a babe.  I'm so thankful to be able to be with them all this Christmas...and not in a hospital, rehab or nursing home.  Next year is not guaranteed to me in any sense...but I'm so grateful for the wonderful time we are sharing together this year.

My husband is a self-proclaimed Scrooge.  Hates Christmas and everything about it...but I  think even he enjoyed himself last night.  And for that I am grateful.
I am grateful for the unseasonably warm weather...which means less pain for me.  And greater safety and accessibility in traveling.

I'm grateful that my "sister" in the Philippines is still alive following the horrific flooding and great loss of life in her village this past week.  I pray for her in the coming sad days of hunger and continuing rain without a roof on their hut/home...Please add your prayers to mine and please, if you hear of any Red Cross or such efforts to send aid there, please contribute...So far, they have received nothing ...there are not even coffins to bury their dead.

I am grateful for my heated house and comfortable hospital bed  and recliner....For the cat on my lap who is my constant companion and "heating pad" these days.  I am grateful to have my laptop back in function following being with out it for a week due to a virus it had.   I am grateful for all the rest of my "extended family" on the internet....Friends I love as much as my "real" life friends.

I'm also grateful that in the past week or so , I've actually been tired enough to sleep despite pain.  In fact it seems like I'm sleeping more than I 'm awake these days.  But after years of surviving on an hour or two a night, I'll take it. ...and with thanksgiving.

I'm grateful that in these days when nothing is a guarantee:  Not health;  freedom, either personal or political; not freedom from pain either; not even a job or having food on the table...and not even my life-- that it is guaranteed that when I draw my last breath here, the next thing I'll see is the face of that One who once laid in that manger and went to the cross to guarantee that I would be with HIm and be no longer in pain...and will enjoy once again all the freedoms I've "lost" in this life.

Yep...a little bit of thanksgiving for your Christmas...and for mine.