plenty

My kitchen is quiet and dark... no spoons stirring, no dishes clanking  or oven baking. My Mom will cook today... and as I think about her in the kitchen, I am reminded of those long ago mornings, up before the light dawned, watching her put the turkey into the overn and peering in the window, knowing it would have to cook forever. I remember the make-shift table of plywood and sawhorses that galloped down the hall, all the way to the front door... and waiting for the guests who would fill all those seats. There was food a-plenty... turkey and stuffing, stuffed shells and meatballs, a huge basket of fruit, pies and a plate of congo squares. And I remember early Friday mornings huddled with my sister, both of us dressed in fuzzy yellow footie pajamas, plucking left-over grapes and clumsily trying to work the nutcrackers for a morning treat. My visions of Thanksgiving long long ago... when all I knew of the holiday was this and the Pilgrims.
So many years have passed... dinners at an assortment of tables, sharing with families and friends. And along the way, what I know about this holiday has grown. Even this year. In seeking the holiday, and looking back, I found that I was in this same place last year. The very same place. And I learn something new about me... and have to make a choice. Do I dig deeper and peek around every corner looking for Thanksgiving, crying when it is no where to be found? Or do I let my heart rest in acceptance of Thanksgiving being a holiday to celebrate for one day?
Today while my oven sits cold, I sit in the quiet... heart beginning to warm. Anticipating the grandeur of the parade we will snuggle in to watch, excited about the rushing in and being in the midst of family, and simply thankful for it all. Every day, every gift, every moment, every breath He gives.
And I am overwhelmed to see... that while I have been seeking, Thanksgiving was just sitting right in my heart, celebrating itself every day... waiting for me to notice. 
Truly more a way of life, than a day set aside. 
And I chalk it up to one more gift in the sea of plenty. 

You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.  Psalm 65:11

Yes... my cart is full, in fact, it is overflowing.  The blessings spill over the sides and to take inventory is impossible.  God's gifts are simply too beautiful and too bountiful to count...

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving... and if your blessings end up spilled all over the floor... don't forget to splash in them.