Happy Thanksgiving (better late than never!)

I confess I have never been much of a Thanksgiving fan. I love the fall, it's one of my four favorite seasons after all. Turkey is ok too, but it is not one of my top meat picks. Eating a big meal with family and friends is always a fun pastime, of course.

But still, even with so many good and happy things associated with the traditional American Thanksgiving holiday, I just don't get too worked up about it.

I have a Christmas heart. I have looked at Thanksgiving as stopping point on the way to Christmas. I mark it in the calendar of my mind as the beginning of the countdown. It has simply been one more landmark to begin the journey to Christmas .

This year, however, I sensed a change in the atmosphere of my soul. I attribute the new awareness to several things that all hinge on one big thing, our homeschool. Spending so much time together as a family has allowed me to get more into the rhythm of the year, both seasonal and liturgical.

Also, I am growing in my desire to reflect not only on the things I am thankful for, but acknowledging to whom my thanks should be given. So, I give my thanks to the Lord for all of our material and spiritual blessings and I also give my thanks to so many in my life who have blessed me with their love and sometimes just simply by their mere presence or their generosity in sharing themselves in a blog.

And honestly, can you think of a better way to begin the journey to Bethlehem than giving thanks? This is like a big "well, d'uh" moment for me.

Ah well, better late than never.