What is different here?

This year for Thanksgiving I am having only a small crowd of about 9 people. Usually, I have over 20 people for dinner. Every Thanksgiving for the past couple of years I have had at least one random person who I have never met and never met again. I wonder if that will happen this year too. I think I might be a bit sad if it does not because it has almost become a tradition.

I think about my life sometimes when I am driving alone and think "Wow, can this really be MY life?" Let me explain a bit. When I was growing up my life was so different. My parents never owned the home in which we lived. I think this is the reason why Gerard and I make less money on our rental houses in the past because I insist they be complete...fenced in yard, freshly painted, neat and clean on the outside. Sometimes we are blessed and have good tenets and sometimes we are not. That is the gamble that we take so I am not complaining. I always want at least the exterior to look like it is a home and not some one's rental property.

My parents struggled when I was growing up. I do remember there were times when we had maybe one or two presents under the tree and one year when I got nothing. Not until I was an adult did I find out that our Christmas dinner every year was a gift from my Aunts.

I graduated high school with little direction not because my parents did not love me but they did not understand how to get me from point A to point B. I lucked into going to college, first a private Catholic school then I transferred to my local community college where I finished up my Associate Degree in Nursing. Oh and I am a big supporter of Community Colleges if you are asking.

I remember the first day I was looking for a job. I applied in person, there were no home computers back then and told myself I would take the first job offered to me. I did. I was offered a part-time job which quickly turned into a full-time job. I know the only reason why I was offered the full-time position is because I was eager to work, learn and willing to take responsibility for my actions. I can still remember the first time a doctor yelled "Who is this patient's nurse?" and not because he liked me.

The difference in my life would amaze most. I felt free for the first time in my life. That was 18 years ago this holiday season. For me it is hard to believe that I have been a Nurse for 18 years, yes I am still at the same employer on a different unit.

I guess what I am trying to say this Thanksgiving morning is I had help along the way by strangers who I have never seen again. I know God carried me through some very difficult times when I was in college and every day when I have a hard day at work amongst other challenges.

This Thanksgiving I know the likelihood of a stranger sitting at my table will be less and this has actually bothered me. I do have enough food prepared just in case. I made the decision on Monday that I was going to make a difference some where.

I am not sure what everyone else does for Thanksgiving but we usually start with the biggest shrimp I can find at least a pound but some times more. The bowl is overflowing, yes they all get eaten. I love cheese so I find it hard not to have 6 or 7 different types of cheese, then it is a traditional turkey dinner.

I decided we are not doing that this year. We are so fortunate to live in a beautiful home with all the comforts where others do not. I have the luxury of going into a grocery store, picking up anything I want putting into my cart and buying it. Although, I think I might start to use coupons next year. Usually our bill for just Thanksgiving dinner is over 350 dollars for 20 or so people. This year it was still expensive at 190 dollars for the meal.

Here is the difference this year. There will be NO shrimp, only 3 or 4 types of cheese, less desserts. Instead I took some of that money about 30 dollars and shopped for the food bank in my community. I think this will be a new tradition. Yes, I took Anna with me for the shopping and the drop off. We talked about what we were doing the whole time. She needs to know that we are fortunate in so many ways. I want her to the type of child who understands that things could be so much different for all of us.





Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who read this blog. I wish each and every one of you were my guest this year laughing at the dinner table with me and my family.