Thanksgiving

Last week I gathered with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. It was a great time with plenty of good food, laughs and fun. Phone calls along with email exchanges with those I don't see often completed my holiday. So did shopping at the mall with my friend Diane and her daughter, Sam. The priceless time spent strengthening relationships was well worth the effort.

Quiet time brought back the intense pain of missing loved ones who have died, like my parents and my brother. Or my friend Tim, a close friend from high school. With both Christmas and New Year's fast approaching, I'm sure my longing for them will cause more tears when remembering special holiday times with them.

But the one thing I am thankful for is to have been so richly blessed in this season of thanks. There was a time when grief paralyzed me and left me deeply depressed. Now I'm grateful for being so well loved by those I miss so dearly. My daily prayer is to live my life with no regrets. And to be a blessing to those who enrich my life in countless ways.