November 26, 2013 – AdaLamar's Blog

This Thanksgiving, as I look back on all that is and has been in my life, I find that there are more things for which to be thankful than I can count. It has been a year full of the best, the hard, the long and more surprises than I thought possible. From my sister and nephew moving in, to supporting them and being the head of the household, to them moving out and standing on their own, to Mom and Dad coming up every 4 weeks, to having 7 people and 5 cats at my house at any given moment…what a year!!

And through it all, everything we have needed has been right there. We may not have lived in luxury, things may have had to be juggled every now and then, I’ve had to work two jobs more than once this year, but there we have not gone without. There has been plenty of everything. Plenty of work, plenty of love, plenty of faith, plenty of wine, plenty of food…plenty of whatever was needed.

And there has been plenty of gratitude and thankfulness along the way., This year in particular, I have been thankful for everything that has crossed my path. Because this year, I have been, oh so aware of the gentle precarious balance that it takes in this life to make everyday work right and peacefully. It’s been a year of great fortune, and great struggle.

This year has seen the end of the legal battle, huge advances in my career, the beginning of a new career for my sister, Dad’s treatments being successful, a new car and an amazing love brought into my life. My family is all together and healthy. And that this moment, life is perfect. I could not ask for anything more (maybe chocolate that has no weight gain?).

And this year, as I look back it is more than anything, the year of thanks and gratitude. And as I say my prayers around that table this year, I give special thanks for these, and so many other things this year, too many to list, too personal to make public.