Thanksgiving

What a gorgeous Thanksgiving weekend! It’s been a weekend of warm sunny days and brilliant fall colours. I love this time of year and this weekend was autumn at its showiest.

With a busy toddler and busy lives, there wasn’t much time to prepare a big Thanksgiving dinner, but we did manage to get a nice meal on the table for Miya, her parents and her grandma – a recent and very welcome arrival to Ottawa.

As is our custom, we went around the table saying what we are grateful for. As usual, those expressing thanks seem to feel uncomfortable doing so, so the tone is light, almost mocking, masking sincerity and heart-felt emotion. But despite how we may fail to clearly articulate our gratitude, I think we really are. I know I am.

I am thankful for family – for my amazing, beautiful, expressive, curious, funny little girl. She is the joy of my life and in the course of her yet so short life, has managed to completely change mine. I’m thankful for my devoted, quirky, brilliant husband and the safe arrival of my lovely mother to Ottawa – who already has and will enrich our lives (and offer invaluable free babysitting!).

I’m thankful that, even though I don’t always act on it, I know that I have friends I can call when I really need someone to talk to. And thankful that I have many to call on for play dates and many whose company at parks and playgrounds has brought friendship and laughter to the last couple years.

I am thankful that I am building a career, through fits and starts, in a field I value and with people I respect. I’m even grateful for all the bumps along the road this last year – I have learned more from the problems than I have from the times of smooth sailing.

I am also deeply and respectfully thankful for the privileges and prosperity I enjoy. Though we may stress and crunch numbers, I am repeatedly struck by how fortunate we are in the place and time we live in. I cannot say I don’t, although I never wish I would, take this bounty for granted.