THANKSGIVING!!!!

WOW! Thanksgiving,  a deeper meaning? A resounding YES!!!  For today I will only give thought to my blessings, because when I woke up this morning and opened my eyes I was already praying, "Please Lord, let me feel good today, please let me have an appetite so I can appreciate all the delicious food my family helped to prepare." And then I realized that very moment the Lord wanted me to feel good and be blessed in this day, it  was  the dern devil that wanted me to wallow in my yuck and stay just like I was the last few days, so I quickly bid him BEHIND me and proceeded to have a great day. I even enjoyed the food and was so grateful for being surrounded by all of my kids and my mom!  

My gratitude list:

I am grateful for my husband, my own personal hero,  and my kids and their spouses,  Mimis 2 grand babies who are on the way, my mom ( and her grandmothers cranberry recipe) my  sisters,(the best you could ask for), my faith, the great food we ate today, Blair's turkey cookies, all the kind people that have cooked for us for the last 2 months, the great people who've cleaned my house,  my doctors and nurses, my friend Kathy who would do anything if she could take this away from me, my friend Cheryl who profoundly knows from experience the balance of suffering combined with not letting the good stuff get away, my friend Jan who quietly shows up with surprises that make me smile, my new friend Jenny, who was diagnosed the same time as me, who I hardly know but already love, my friends from the past who still love me and send me sweet cards in the mail, my friend Melba who has loved me since high school and will entertain me at her house this Monday for a 2 day long holiday Bash ( I can't wait), my friend Laurice who I loved the minute I met her, whose own personal journey would inspire me then and especially now, my friend Sandra whose knowledge of dimpling related to  breast cancer got me to the mammogram in a timely fashion, (she helped save my life!!) my circle of friends in my supper club who have deeply shared their souls with me through thick and thin, who surround me with love every  month, (I hope I give them  even a morsel of what they give me), my friends who are also my clients, you are all so kind and patient and giving, my friends at Rayne Catholic, your love and prayers and meals sustain us all, my kids teachers, (thanks for taking care of my kids at this challenging time), my friend Robin who taught me to trust God and myself, my friend Father Buddy Breaux who listens with his heart and lets me articulate what this all means spiritually to me, my friend Joy whose soup always hits the spot, my friend Caroline, who makes me smile while she always safely and cautiously prepares me for the reality of what life brings physically, she is a natural care taker and would do anything for me, (a superb nurse!), my cousins and Aunts and Uncles who take the time to stay connected to me from miles away, ..... Oh my God there are so many people who've reached out in so many ways, the cards, the relics, the rosaries, the books, the flowers, the plants, the people who helped decorate my room, on and on and on... surprise visits from people I haven't seen in years, the people who read this blog that I never even met before...

and then there are the sunsets, the rainbow I saw the other day, the flowers that are blooming in my flower bed that Stacey cleaned out and Ricky planted, the thanksgiving mass that Father Bill celebrated today, the fire that I will sit by tonight on the patio, sharing a meal with my  kids today, my new mac computer that I'm becoming such a computer nerd on, my job decorating for Ronnie, Melba's husband (he is the kindest, most generous boss anyone could have), less hot flashes (thank you Our Lady of Menopause), the weather today, childhood memories of turkeys made from apples and marshmallows, (thanks Donna and John) , the promise of  the Birth of our Lord.... I love my life, I am extremely blessed, I am forever grateful to God and all of you for a life experience that pleases me beyond my wildest dreams. Daddy, if you're in heaven reading this email, lol, know that I am grateful that God chose you to be my Dad, you taught me the importance of a positive attitude and a kind smile for everyone, you will always be my hero! The lessons I learned from you are the essence of why I can make it through each day of chemo, fighters never give up and always intend to WIN! Even though I call this my DANCE! Triumph, I will!

(The top picture is Blanche hugging Blair and Lil Baby Audrey, with me to the left with no butt and no hair!)