What a wonderful Thanksgiving!! There were twelve of us for dinner this year, my oldest son and his wife, my daughter and her fiance and his son, my youngest son and his girlfriend, my brother and his two children and my husband and me. Not a big group by some standards, but about all this little house could hold. Dinner was excellent. Desserts were over the top wonderful. Conversations were spirited with the usual teasing and joking. It is so wonderful to look down the table and see how very blessed I am with such a wonderful group beside me. I look at my children interacting together and can only pray that they stay close forever. So much love in the room. What a wonderful day.

Very bittersweet to realize that my siblings are so divided that there are not even phone calls exchanged to wish each other a Happy Thanksgiving. What happens that splits families to the point where they can no longer even get together at holiday time? Why can some families remain united and work through disagreements without building walls between each other? Were we not taught respect for each other while growing up? Were we not encouraged to work out our differences or were we encouraged to keep everything inside and let it fester and grow until there was no path back to common ground? I do not know the answers, but I do know that my heart is heavy and pray for healing for our family. This Christmas one sister has invited everyone to her home for a family gathering. I am very hopeful. After all, isn't Christmas a magical time of reconciliation?

Today was a really long day. New puppy to the vet for her second set of shots, new sleeper sofa delivered and then the baseball game. The baseball game was part of a benefit for the husband of one of the women I work with. Less than four months ago he was playing baseball with the team and had yet to be diagnosed with cancer. He passed away yesterday and today was his benefit. He left behind his wife and two children. He was only 46. This is the second coworker who has lost a spouse in the last two months. The wife of another coworker passed away in October. She was only 26 and they had just gotten married in June. Sometimes things don't always go the way you hope they will, but when people you know suffer such loss you are brought up short and you realize how selfish you've been with your own pity parties. There was an absolutely huge turnout for the benefit. Lots going on with a pig roast, band, raffles, 50-50 drawings and Jarrett Payton as a speaker. There was hardly room to move and I'm sure we exceeded the occupancy limits by 4 times the limit at least. Unbelievable how strong his family was. I wish them peace over the next few days. I know that he is in a better place and that his suffering has come to an end, but they will be saying goodbye to a great father, husband, son, brother, uncle, friend, coach, and coworker and have to begin the reality of life without him. I know that as time goes on the thoughts of his illness and pain will lessen as the happy memories come more easily to mind. As I lay down to sleep tonight help me to remember those who are grieving and to say a prayer. Let me never forget to tell my loved ones how much they mean to me. Let me tell them every day that I love them very much. Life can change in an instant. Let us never forget. God bless and good night.