Giving Thanks...

This weekend is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. All over the country, people will be gathering together for turkey dinners, family traditions, football games (both of the pick-up and the professional variety), and yes, for giving thanks.

I'm beginning to carve out my own traditions as I face the various family holidays on my own for the first time. I decided this morning that one of those traditions will be a blog post about the things I'm grateful for in the past year. And despite this year having been a difficult one for a variety of reasons, there is so much that I am grateful for.

First of all, my parents. At this time last year, I knew my time with them was drawing to a close, although thankfully I didn't know how short a time we had left. This morning I was looking back with some regrets that I didn't do more for and with them, but I know in my heart that I did as much as I could at the time, and that our relationship was unique and precious. I will cherish them both in my heart for as long as I live.

Next, my friends. Without my wonderful friends and extended family, I don't know how I would have coped in the last three years as I dealt with the deterioration of Mum's and Dad's health, and with their eventual death. Friends that sat with me late at night, either on person or on the phone or through email, listening to my grief and anxiety; friends that gave me a shoulder (literal and cyber) to lean on through the process of saying goodbye to Mum and Dad; friends that helped me deal with all that it took to make my parents' home my own; friends that encouraged me to spread my wings and be all that I can be. All are treasured.

This past year has given me some wondrous gifts. Gradually becoming my own person again was one of them. Discovering that I could enjoy traveling again was another. Spending time in Walton-on-Thames and in Los Angeles were the best things that could have happened to me. The incredible opportunity to spend a bit of time with Julie Andrews was something I will treasure forever. Meeting new people, making new friends, learning new things... Working with Emma Walton Hamilton on my writing has helped me grow both as a writer and as a person.

Oh my -- I could go on and on!

Am I lucky, or what? Am I blessed, or what?

I am certainly grateful.