Ok, so I’ve obviously been on an unplanned break. I don’t know about you, but my calendar has already been doing the holiday s t r e t c h and I’ve just not found time to write. A lot has happened that I could write about- like burning up the motor in my Flawless personal trimmer- likely even before the warranty had expired. Not sure what that says about my hormone levels, but it can’t be good. Or my longtime doctor retiring, which will have me scrambling to find someone young enough to see me through to the end- literally. A longstanding doctor/patient relationship is kind of like an old married couple and now I have to go all the way back to a “first date” with someone new as we nervously get to know each other. Or Ruby’s altercation with a raccoon that left bloody claw marks across her face and nose, which the vet says will likely leave a scar. Having always relied on her looks, she’s kind of taken to her bed over it as she’s worried about how she’ll look for our family Christmas picture, this weekend. Or the fact that Carson has ONE more semester of college and we’re about ready to finally implement our home renovation plans and met with a contractor last week. Living in a renovation site with Davis and Ruby will either give a lot of good blog material for 2022 or end it all together with me having lost my mental faculties. Only time will tell. But, it’s Thanksgiving week, so we’ll have to come back to those topics later. This week is all about gratefulness.

Today, as I was driving, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful the day was. The gold and orange leaves just popped against the bright blue fall sky. The wind blew the falling leaves around like confetti in the air. Everywhere I looked, I saw beauty and thought how God blesses us through His creation. This week just always has a different feel about it. We all seem to really be tuned in to all that God has done for us. The protection He’s given us to bring us this far. The freedoms and liberties we enjoy. The people He’s given us to love. The abundant physical provisions that sustain us. The forgiveness and grace He offers. This week, in particular, brings those things to the forefront of the mind where they should always reside. 

I’m really looking forward to the big gathering of my family that we didn’t get to have last year. There will be a house full of people and the Egg Bowl will be on in the background. There will be cousins, aunts, uncles, and kids that have gotten taller since we last met. The boys and boys-at-heart will end up in the backyard throwing a football around. The men will stand around outside with their hands in their pockets talking about man things. The tables will have beautiful centerpieces and extra chairs brought in for all the guests. There will be a lot of hugging and laughing and noise making. There will catching up and picture taking and candles burning. The food will be lined up for what seems like a mile. The dessert table- too much goodness for so little time. My mother and her sister will have executed their mother’s cornbread dressing recipe to perfection. And when the ice is in the glasses and the rolls are finally lightly browned, the crowd will be corralled into the house and the noise and the chatter will start to fade and my uncle, who has the gift of putting words together in a most beautiful way, will have our Thanksgiving blessing. There, as a family, we’ll bow our heads, young and old, and thank God for giving us another year to be together and for the way He’s held our family close through the generations. How He’s given us the strength to bear the losses along the way, for the faith that that has been passed down, and for the hope of a family reunion in heaven, one happy day. We’ll thank Him for all the ways He’s provided for us here in this life and the one to come and then we’ll lift our heads and open our usually teary eyes and the food line will quickly form. That’s been the same format for our family Thanksgivings for as far back as my memory will take me. Through the years, the location has changed. Some of the dear faces have left us. A lot of new ones have been added. The young have gotten older. Kids have grown into adults. But, the cornbread dressing recipe, my uncle offering a beautiful prayer, and our family united in faith and love have been constant.

On the Miller side, we’ll be missing Davis’ dad, this year. His absence will change most everything about that small gathering. We had our last Thanksgiving with him, last year, and didn’t realize it. That’s the thing about lasts- you rarely know when they’re happening. Just in the last few days, I’ve talked to several friends and acquaintances and have been reminded that the holidays will be a difficult time for a lot of people, this year. We all, inevitably, have our turn at having particularly hard ones. Holidays highlight the empty chairs, the unwelcome life changes, and the loneliness felt in the heart. If someone is on your mind, this holiday season, say a prayer for them, make a phone call, or pull up an extra chair at your table. We’re all on this journey together and we need each other. At times, a whole lot. 

I’m so very thankful for you and your support of my blog. You really just can’t imagine how much. I’ll check in as often as my schedule will allow through the holiday season, but we’ll get back to a more normal flow in the new year! Have a most wonderful Thanksgiving day and, if you’re in a particularly hard season, know that you’re not alone. There will be a lot of families having difficult holidays, this year, and God knows each and every one by name. May He give you peace. 

JONI