I have so many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! It has been another incredible year and despite the normal challenges of life, it has been a year to remember so many positive things! The biggest thing that I have noticed this year is than my definition of FAMILY has changed in ways that I never thought possible! I had always thought more of family as those that are blood related to me, but FAMILY has come to mean so much more than I imagined! Whether scattered all over the world or right here at home, family to me has come to mean all of those in my life that share this journey and hold a special place in my heart! I have people that I consider family that I only see every few years, but they don’t mean any less because I miss their physical presence! I have family that live within very short distances from me, but that I can’t for some reason seem to make connections with and put differences aside, but that doesn’t mean they are any less to me! I cannot control others, but I can know in my heart how I feel even if I can’t seem to express that to them! Finally, I have family that I see almost every day and that bring those special moments to life whether they are blood related to me or not!
This year, as we celebrated Thanksgiving early on Sunday so the kids could spend the actual day with their dad, I sat at the head of the table after my beautiful wife and I had cooked our meal together, and I had a realization that not one single person at that table or at the kids table was a blood relation of mine! While some of the people that have shared my table in the past have gone on to the next world in the last few years, others have their own lives and their own commitments and/or have moved to far distance places! While I miss those holes at the dinner table, as I looked around this year, I realized how many amazing people I have in my FAMILY!
April Comer has become a member of our family this year along with her amazing kids, Chase and Makayla! Our kids call them brother and sister because they spend so much time together and they see them as family! She has brought so much love and joy into our lives and never hesitates to help when we are in need! That to me is as important as any blood relationship because she made the choice to be part of our lives instead of having it thrust on her by birth! She is an amazing person and her kids are a joy to be around! We are so thankful to have them in our lives!
Jeff, Phyllis’ ex-husband, being at our table is a sign of what a great person he is and what a great father he is! We could argue and fight and have a tug of war with the kids, but our relationship has never been like that! He is always willing to help when we need it and we would do anything to help him if he were in need! I realize this might sound odd, but I consider Jeff part of my family! He is the father of kids that I consider to be my own and his love and caring for them is something that I respect beyond measure! The fact that he has never done anything but try to promote a good relationship between me and the kids since Phyllis and I got married is a great gift that I am so thankful for! He could have made my life much harder, but he knows how much I care about the kids, and for him, that is the most important thing! I was very thankful to have him at our table and to have him as part of our family!
Grammie and Pop-Pop, friends of Phyllis’ for many, many years! They have been like grandparents to the kids despite not being blood related! The kids love them so much and I barely know their real names other than those used for them in love by the kids! They have been with us before and I am so thankful for them being with us again!
My amazing kids! Even though Elisha, Seth and Abby just came into my life a few years ago, they are MY kids! I love them more every day and I enjoy all the moments of watching them grow and change! They may not be my blood, but they are mine! Every new adventure we go on is a memory I will cherish and I look forward to many more! They keep me young and that is an amazing gift and something I am so Thankful for!
Finally, the love of my life! Phyllis and I have only been together for 3 Thanksgivings, but it seems like she has been in my heart forever! She takes care of me every day and that is so amazing! Cooking dinner with her was a great joy because I had always done that part of the day by myself! My heart over flows with joy when I think about my beautiful wife! She has given me so much more to be thankful for and I hope she always knows how thankful I am for her love! She loves me like no one ever has in my life and the joy of that on a daily basis makes every date thanksgiving for me!
While I wish I had more of my family closer by and with me on this Thanksgiving, I know they have wonderful lives and obligations that they are thankful for as well! I am just as thankful for them whether they are here for this day or not and I hope next year they will be among the family around my table! I have come to realize that FAMILY is so much more than I had ever thought and this year I am so thankful for all of those that God gave me as blood relatives and for all of those that God chose to send my way to bring more joy to my life! No matter who you consider part of your family, I hope you and they have an amazing Thanksgiving and appreciate all you have rather than anything that you don’t have!