Thankful for family
Thankful for Hennesey and his loyalty
Thankful for best friends that last forever
I miss this view, and all the smiling faces I could find here 🙂 MIIS Garden
Thankful for my girls!
Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday. I spent many a family Thanksgiving undermining the cheerful gluttony with annotations of the dark origins of the day. I have learned to tolerate the holiday, appreciating the opportunity to come together with friends and family because, at least for me, those moments of congregating have grown few and far between. I do not think of Thanksgiving with smiling Pilgrims and Indians in mind.  I do take a moment to mourn for the losses of the Wampanoag tribes of my beloved New England.  Pilgrims massacred and enslaved the native population, and that is a legacy that deserves remembrance. Take a moment on Thanksgiving to show remorse for America’s dark history while give thanks for everything you have. And, try to think of the day after Thanksgiving as more than Black Friday, because it is  National American Indian Heritage Day.
Today, so far from home, in honor of the tradition of giving thanks I will share what I am grateful for.
To my supportive family and friends. I am grateful for your kindness, your love, your honesty, your patience, and your humor. Without you, the challenges would be harder, and the triumphs would be lonely. Thanks for sharing the good times and bad times with me.
I am grateful that I am where I want to be, where I have worked to be – even though that means I am far from everyone I love. The past six months have been a greater challenge that I could have imagined, even though many of my RPCV friends warned me. You were right, all of you, and thank you for completing your service.
Happy Holidays, try not to get caught up in the consumptive nature of the holiday season. Take the time to give back. And if you are giving gifts this year, consider that memories last longer and bring more happiness than things.
