happy, happy thanksgiving tomorrow!!

[photos by the talented lady, ms. montgomery lee!]

thanksgiving has always been one of my very favorite holidays! probably mostly because my mom is an absolutely phenomenal cook [and my grandmother back in the day], and for years she has done the most incredible superwoman spread of thanksgiving delight! and oh, those smells that start in the kitchen and make their way into the rest of the house, lingering all day long just bring back the very best memories for me. and the parade!! that parade on tv, it makes me so happy. i love it all. i love putting on my thanksgiving clothes, laughing with my siblings, and helping my mom in the kitchen. i love sitting around the table with my whole family. and okay, so thanksgiving also means my birthday is near, and of course, i don’t hate that. 😉 

as i’ve gotten older, too, having a heart of gratitude is something that has become more and more important to me, and it’s something that i really want to instill in maddalena. she has such a natural zest for life, and i am always praying that she never ever loses that! but i also believe that having a thankful heart is simply a choice to be made. there will always be the option to see the glass half empty or half full. there will always be things that don’t go our way. there will always be compromises, disappointments,  and frustrations… but there will also always be fresh air and golden sunsets, the kindness of friends and strangers, warm hugs to savor, and laughs to be shared. and i’m not at all perfect at it… heck, life is just hard sometimes! but i’m a happy girl, truly, because i love what i’ve got, and i’d really hate to waste time taking it all for granted.

each night now, when we say bedtime prayers with maddalena, it is the sweetest thing on earth to hear her learning how to give thanks at such a precious, young age. she’ll come up with things on her own and say something that’s usually, “thank you for fophie,” and “thank you for minnie,” or a few nights ago it was, “thank you for lucy, I LOVE LUCY AND MAGGIE!” haha! and i have to think that it must make God smile extra big to hear babies saying thank you for their blessings. it sure makes me happy!

so, happy thanksgiving week to everyone!! may your hearts and plates and bellies be extra, extra full!