Now that the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has come and gone and most of the food has been devoured (OK, no, we have a ton of leftovers) we are relaxing on the couch in our apartment watching any and every program playing on NBC this evening.
Today at the parade we stood by a man who we eventually realized was homeless. When I say that we "eventually realized", I mean just that. He was entertaining some of the other people around us talking about all things pop culture and just things about his life, but we quickly realized that what he was saying just didn't all add up. He started mixing up details of how he got there that morning and where he was "actually" living. Every time someone mentioned the fact that they lived in the city or near the city he would respond with "you're so blessed."
Either way, the bottom line is when the parade ended and all of the people he had entertained for four hours in the very chilly weather started to go on their way back to their homes to enjoy their Thanksgiving dinners this man began to cry, picked up hisbag of things (a tattered shopping bag) and just stood still right where he was with no concern about rushing to the place to catch that bus back to his "home."
The thought of this man being completely alone on a holiday where people gather together to give thanks for all of the things in their lives of course made me realize just how thankful I am for all that I have.
I am extremelythankful for being married to my best friend and true love, M. I am still amazed that God planned for us to meet at that fateful tennis tournament when the most I was looking for was maybe a new doubles partner...not a life partner!
I am thankful for my family. My parents who have given me more and taught me more than I could ever imagine. I am truly blessed with caring and supportive parents. I am also thankful for my brother and sister. It makes me happy to see that even as we grow older we are still close and that we truly enjoy "hanging out" together. In fact, it's been really fun having C. here this past week.
I am thankful for wonderful friends. No, I may not always be the best in terms of keeping up with my friends and no, I don't have a million great friends, but the ones that I do have I think about every single day and I will always be here for them the same way as they have been there for me.
I am thankful for this year of opportunities. I am thankful that M. and I both have jobs and that we are working towards careers that we're both excited about. While it hasn't been completely easy transitioning into this new life in NYC, I am thankful for the valuable life experiences and the support of all of those around me. Of course this move would not have been possible without the ultimate support of my husband...oops, I mentioned him twice...I'm allowed! :)
Finally, I am thankful for the roof over my head, the blankets that keep me warm each night and the leftovers that are ready to be put away. I have been given a wonderful life -- I am truly blessed -- and this Thanksgiving it is all the more obvious to me. So many people go without even the most basic necessities and I was reminded today that I need to try and give back to those who don't have even the most basic luxuries of the every day.
I hope that we were wrong about the man at the parade today and that right now he is happily spending time with his family enjoying a piece of pie. For now I will hug my husband a little tighter and remind all of those people around me how much I love them.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Posts
0 comments:
Post a comment on: So Very Thankful