Giving Thanks

It's been difficult Thanksgiving holiday season. Landon's great-grandmother (my mom's mom) has been very ill and my mom decided to skip Thanksgiving dinner at Steve and Madeleine's house (a few pictures from dinner below) so she could drive thirteen hours back to Slater, MO to be with her. Martha Murray, my last living grandparent, passed away early Saturday morning and I deeply regret that she never got to meet Landon in person. We talked often of taking him back to visit but just hadn't gotten it together yet. And now it's too late.

In spite of that, however, I am truly thankful. I'm thankful that my mom got to be with her mother in the final hours. I'm thankful that she lived eighty-nine good years - it's never long enough but hardly tragically early and she did outlive nearly all of her friends. Although I wish I'd visited more, I am thankful for the time that I did get to spend with her. I'm thankful that LT, a beautiful example of the happier side of the inevitable circle of life, was sleeping peacefully in my arms when I got the news of my grandmother's death.

There are not words to express how thankful I am for my family. I'd be lost with out my wonderful wife and child (yes, even our doggies) and all the love and support we get from our extended family. I'm thankful that all of Landon's grandparents are alive, very healthy and live relatively nearby - I'm very hopeful at the opportunity LT has to grow up knowing them better than I knew mine.

LT, Kari and I leave tomorrow for the funeral services on Tuesday. I'm thankful our lifestyle affords us the opportunity to go and honor my grandmother's life and to be there to support my mom and the rest of her family.