Give Thanks in all circumstances

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who have found your way here.
I live in New York so as I type, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC is getting underway. I always watched the parade as a child. My first Thanksgiving memories are of watching while the grownups cooked. Our job was to stay out of the way. If we did it well we could get away with just about anything.
As I got older, the boys were in hunting camp and I was at home cooking with the women.
I learned so much about life cooking with my mother and aunts on Thanksgiving Day.
The richness of simple good food. The blessing of good company. The delight of laughter wafting up into the air with the aroma of turkey and stuffing. The love of family and the unexpected gifts that could be found by opening your door to someone in need, oft times someone I had never met before.We gathered up the needy, the lonely, the visitors to this country or our town who couldn't get "home" for dinner for one reason or another.

Now, at almost 59 years old, I have my own home with my own kitchen and interestingly, though I have cooked many Thanksgiving dinners in the last 40 years, today I will be working in the kitchen with the women again. My grown daughter, Jackie, will be the master chef this year assisted by her sister and I. Truth be told, Jackie is a better cook than I am, with a sensibility to good health (not nearly so much butter as my mother used), to local produce and to serving a hormone free, locally raised turkey.
Axel, my ten - almost eleven - year old grandson is here to watch the parade and yell out"come look at this" for the exciting parts.
My home - the family home of 30 years - will be full of deliciousness, laughter and love. I am so very thankful for that. Little Natalie - my 2 year old granddaughter- will add delight to the recipe of a Happy Thanksgiving.

Our thoughts will be with the friends and family members not gathered under this roof. My son, a Navy man serving in the Pacific northwest, and separated by 3000 miles from his wife and my other granddaughter Lorelai, will not be with us in body but surely will be in spirit. My brothers and their families and my mother in law and her family will be gathering together over the river and through the woods - some of them coming in for dinner from hunting as in years past.
We will give great thanks for them all and of course for the loved ones who are no longer with us here but will live forever in our hearts. I am thankful for all the many wonderful gifts they have given to me over the years.
It is no surprise that my favorite scripture is

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances
from Thessalonians 5:17 .

This has been a rough year for many of us and certainly for many around the world, but this scripture reminds me that it is not only today, but every day that I should give thanks.
It is in living with a grateful heart all year long that I have much to celebrate when we gather together today around our table full of love.
I am so thankful that I was raised with the understanding of gratitude and rejoicing and praying in all circumstances .
I am thankful that my grown children live lives of gratitude. And, I am thankful for email, and Facebook and blogs that make it easy to say " I love you." to those who can not be with us today.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!!!!
Blessing to you all,
Beverly