thanksgiving

thanksgiving. time to give thanks. i give thanks for my dad still being here this year. i love that god has given him another shot, more time, more health, more life to live with his family. i love that i just spent thanksgiving with my parents, eating the foods i grew up on, saying the prayers that comfort me. looking across the table and seeing my four beautiful children, parents and husband. its a tradition i hope my children take to heart and continue forever.
we will go to my husband's family tomorrow and eat the foods he grew up on, see the cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents that make his holidays so special.
i have family in town. i have two brothers that live within 30 minutes of me and one that is a couple hours away, but i won't share turkey with them this year. why? i don't know. i just think family is a funny thing. family describes those people who would lay their life down for you without hesitation. those that through squabble, pride, love and laughs you would do anything for. that is my family. that is my brothers. why aren't we together? i don't know. we say things like, we are busy, gotta work, tired, etc... i don't know.
i know that i love them. i respect them. i admire them. love their families.
want to be close to them. my brother closest to me in age has been my hero my whole lifetime. i have always had him on the highest pedestal. to me, he will always be the strongest, smartest, most fun person i know.
i don't believe any of them read my blog, or even know i have one. these things i say, i don't say to them. there are reasons we don't see each other. reasons that mean nothing in the grand picture of life.
i ran a half marathon this week and saw a man younger than all three of my brothers lying in the grass, half naked, blue and getting compressions. no heart beat. his family had to be informed of this news while waiting with signs for their husband/father to cross the finish line. he made it to mile 12. it just put things in perspective.
i give thanks that i have a big loving family. i pray that i have them a little closer next thanksgiving.