Thanksgiving Was A Very BIG Deal

Thanksgiving was always a very BIG deal when I was a child. We always met at "somebody's" house and had a huge feast and family fun together.

If there were too many people to be seated, the protocol when I was a child was to seat the men first, then the women and children. Well, that time-honored tradition gave way to my Grammie Muriel's empathy and compassion for children whenever the meal was at HER house! If there wasn't enough table space, the KIDS ate first and THEN the adults. Oh, boy, did that make ME feel special!

Those wonderful family moments are certainly to be cherished and held close to our hearts! When a few of us gathered for this day-after-thanksgiving-celebration at Mom's home on the Station Road in Littleton, we had no idea it would be the LAST time that Mom, Aunt Iola, and Uncle Leonard would celebrate Thanksgiving together. And it would be the last thanksgiving that Andrea and Lory would be with their parents. By February of 2008, Uncle Leonard was with Jesus. And in February of 2009, Aunt Iola was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was with us less than five months after that diagnosis. I visited her often during that final illness and came away from her room marveling at her attitude. She showed us how to face death with grace and dignity. She looked forward to her Heavenly home and let us know that by many means, including a beautiful message she left in a notebook near her bedside.

Life is fragile! This is why we need to MAKE memories together and CLING to them. God was so good to give me the joy of spending that day with them -- people who were and are important in my life -- because now I have that memory to treasure for always.

Grandchildren, Aunt Iola was Grammie Ruth's only sister and Uncle Leonard was Aunt Iola's husband. Andrea and Lory are their children (my cousins).

Uncle Leonard was like a brother to Grammie Ruth and a precious uncle to me. One of my fondest memories of him was at my father's funeral. I remember standing near a stained glass window at the Littleton Baptist Church after the service was over. I felt alone and bewildered. Uncle Leonard gave me the gift of security and knowing it would be "all right" when he walked over, stood beside me, and put his arm around my shoulder. He just stood there and said nothing and everything all at once. There is no question to me that he was one of the finest men in all the world.

Why was I so blessed to have people like this in my life? By God's grace alone. I am SO thankful.