Thanks (present tense)

Tis the season for posts about gratitude. And is it just me? Or are some of these posts a little trite. My family, friends, my country… blah-ba-blah.

This year feels weird to me. It just feels off for some reason. Last year, my wonderful Aunt Earline had just passed away. I think we had dinner a little shell shocked. I was also still extremely sleep deprived with my then 3-month old, so last year is a bit of blur. This year is different for a variety of non-post-worthy reasons. But I’ve been working a lot this year on appreciating what is. So, even though I can’t seem to climb on board that cheery bandwagon of thankfulness, I am still finding gratitude.

I’m thankful the holiday is at my Grandma’s, so I don’t have to clean my house.

I’m thankful for those cute little red cranberries that will bubble and burst as I cook them on the stove. I love cooking directions that say “cook till bursting”.

I’m thankful my Uncle understands it makes perfect sense to cook approximately 35 pounds of turkey (one smoked, one roasted) for five people.

I’m thankful my Grandma keeps her house at a balmy 80 degrees so in any stressful moments, I can just close my eyes and pretend I’m in Bermuda.

And, well, (here comes that damn bandwagon and I just can’t resist it), I really am so blessed with family and friends. This year has shown me that over and over. I love that we have a full day designated to soak that in. I hope between cooking, chaos and (hopefully) a turkey-induced nap, you have a few moments to Soak in the Gratitude. Let it seep deep inside your bones. Deep, to those achy places that need it the most.