Close to Nowhere

Every year, for the past 28 or so years, I’ve written a Thanksgiving column – what I’m thankful for that year and at that time.

Some days it’s pretty hard to find something to be thankful for. I know that I’m petty and ungrateful because I truly have a rich life. I am blessed with family, my work family, my church family; I have a home that’s warm in the winter and cool in the summer. I have plenty of food.

I have five sewing machines. One, my treasure, is a circa 1940s Singer Featherweight. I know the date it was made and the factory it was made in — at home on a piece of paper I keep in the machine case.

Facebook is always popping up with “memories” of things you put up on that date however many years ago.

One day last week, a memory from four years ago popped up — “I’m thankful Pop is still here after all his heart surgeries, etc.”

I guess sometimes — maybe a lot of times — we can be thankful for warm memories.

This Thanksgiving what am I most thankful for? The most obvious answer is Shepard, my great-grandson. He will be a year old in December and I don’t think a greater blessing has ever been born.

Unless it was his mother and his aunt, my granddaughters. And my daughter and son. Sometimes I can’t believe how swiftly time has passed since they were all born.

The late Mr. Freddie (DeBardeleben), who worked here for many years, often grumbled about how, as he got older, time flew faster and faster.

I hope that he’s looking down and watching his grandchildren. Anna is happily teaching and living in Memphis, Tenn., Thomas recently married and Grace is a horse groomer for a famous breeder.

She was home last weekend for Merideth’s vow renewal and as always, she is stunningly beautiful and sweet.

I have a picture over my desk of Grace and Merideth in the woods behind our house — they were about 5 or 6. I’m anxious to get pictures back from this weekend of the two girls in their beautiful gowns.

What I’m thankful for this year? I think memories. I have some wonderful memories. I have some not so wonderful memories, but I choose to put those aside.

Oh, let’s not forget to be very thankful for hot chocolate!