Morning has broken

So it's Thanksgiving morning...well, maybe not officially, but we're celebrating with my family today and Tim's family tomorrow. I'm up early to make 3 pies, mushroom and leek dressing, a relish tray, and then get everything ready to go, including ingredients for making last minute gravy at my dad's house.

I'm in the midst of my usual internal conflict that comes along every holiday season - time with family vs. time involving Tim, me and friends. The friend quotient is what we got used to when we lived in Arkansas and Missouri for all those years, and that's something we really miss. But we know how much our families love us and value time with us - and we're working on valuing that, too.

Ah, the conflicts that we live with every day. The battle between the giving and the selfish that wages within ourselves. The grieving of lost expectations, the rejoicing in new joys. Isn't life such a dichotomy? Don't we live within nearly dual worlds?

Today I am thankful for all the love in my life. The friends who say to me, "You can do it," in a calm and reassuring voice. The family who stands by me when I have tough decisions to make. The love of God that surrounds me always, palpable, felt in my every day and every night.

So here's to pumpkin pie, turkey and dressing, and all that means. Here's to pilgrims and Indians and the coming together of two worlds. Here's to the good and the bad in life, that come together usually all in one day, and just the plain old experience of life as we walk down our own roads.