My first Thanksgiving here was spent on a 16 hour bus
ride to a small village in Northeast Thailand where I would be teaching High
School students.
The next ones were celebrated here in Ban Chang
with the Foreign teachers and friends. This one has extra special meaning as I give
thanks that I can walk again. I have taken my first steps after fractured femur
neck surgery (broken hip). However I still need my walker and help going up and
down stairs. Accepting help has left me ever so grateful and I try to
remember that we didn’t learn to walk in one day… so “go slow and be patient”
is my new mantra.
As my thoughts turn to Thanksgivings past, I
reflect on many happy feasts at the house where I grew up, in the
small town of Stoughton, Wisconsin. Thursday would start with singing at a
special morning Thanksgiving service:
For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies;
For the love which from our birth,
Over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This,
our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child;
Friends on Earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This,
our hymn of grateful praise.
After church the whole family would gather around the
dining room table with the overflow “kids” table in the basement. Often there
were more than twenty of us with aunts, uncles and cousins. Then the feasting began and continued until evening while some watched football on TV and others napped between meals. My favourite part was when we each would say what we were thankful for.
Thanksgiving is a holiday that has no meaning here
in Thailand but as an American I will always celebrate and appreciate the
meaning behind the day. I am especially thankful every year since my daughter was born on Thanksgiving Day. Sometimes I fondly call her my "Turkey” because in 1970 I was giving birth instead of eating turkey dinner. Happy Birth-Day Carrie.
So much to be thankful for; my health, the amazing love of family and friends, and the joy I receive from teaching in Thailand.
I feel truly blessed and FULL of Thanks.”
May those you love share a bountiful meal and relish many thankful moments.
May you enjoy vibrant health and may your lives overflow with abundance.
Love and
Blessings from Thailand
