Thoughts of Thanksgiving

This week I’m putting aside the Christmas cards I started addressing, and the Christmas presents I started shopping for. This week would be what it is: Thanksgiving. This is a very important Thanksgiving for our family. My parents and my brother and his wife will make the trip to my home this year and join our four. In previous years we’ve been abroad or too far away, so this year will be the first that my family comes to my house for Thanksgiving.

It is also a special holiday because of my parents. I don’t use this blog to talk about it, but I feel it warrants mentioning in light of the holiday. I am thankful for so many things. I am thankful for my parents being able to make the trip this year, inshallah. (God Willing) My mother had her fourth chemo treatment last week and seems improved—in both body and spirit. I am thankful she has only two more rounds before she is granted a temporary reprieve. I am thankful for my father who is taking care of her during this time. I am thankful he has hobbies and projects to distract him from cancer and chemotherapy. I am thankful that my parents built the bond with my kids very early on and that my son asks about her daily. I am thankful that his favorite place to be is at Grandma’s house. I am thankful for my husband who will lets me drive down to see them at the drop of a hat without the kids to spend time with her or help out when I can. I am thankful for all they still do for us.

I am thankful that this thanksgiving we will all be together.

I want to spend this week remembering this and being thankful for the blessing that I have. I want to take a step back and enjoy the food I make and savor the memories.

Thanks to fellow DC Metro Moms blogger who inspired me to start a new tradition. From their first Thanksgiving as a family, they used an inexpensive table cloth to write down what they were thankful for. And each year that table cloth is used for the dinner. I’m going to spin it a different way with napkins. (Quite honestly because I’m not up for decorating my Damascene table cloth I bought in Syria for my rather large table.) Each member of my family, including the kids, must write what they are thankful for after dinner. And we’ll reuse them year after year until there is no more room.