27 Days of Thankful, #1

I've struggled with Thanksgiving for awhile now.

Some of you know that when I was 16, I lost my dad to pancreatic cancer. It was not a long battle, but it was painful, and it left indelible scars on our family.

Losing a family member is always difficult, but losing someone you love during a holiday season just adds an extra element of "blech" to the whole situation. My dad passed away just a few days before Thanksgiving, and the holiday has really never been the same for me. I know where my dad is, I know I'll see him again someday, but it still hurts to know we've all missed so many happy times with him in this life.

We spent that first lonely Thanksgiving in a cheesy all-you-can-eat buffet, probably the only spot in town that was open. I remember the effort it took to smile, to swallow, to speak.

I guess that the effort is kind of the point.

Giving Thanks, Being Grateful, Offering Thanksgiving...sometimes requires an effort.

Sure, it's easy to be thankful for your life when you have great hair, cute kids, new shoes, and a husband who makes you smile every day.

It's the days when you hear bad news from the pediatrician, your car gets a flat tire, and your hair is frizzy that you find thankfulness a real stretch.

Thanksgiving Day is different for the T family these days. T and I have our own children to grow traditions with, and we often spend the holiday with his big, noisy extended family in Tennessee. It's hard to feel alone when you're surrounded by 50+ people who love you. Yet that sneaky, bitter, woe-is-me feeling has a tendency to come creeping back in.

27 Days of Thankful is going to be my way of combating that feeling this month.

I'm planning on posting something, anything (no matter how silly or small!), that I am thankful for each day leading up to Thanksgiving Day. I'd love it if you'd join me in the comments section.

Let's focus on the good and great things in our lives for a few weeks, even if it's just once for a few minutes in our very busy days.

Here's #1.Today, I am thankful for the Griswolds, and the crazy, silly, over the top, fabulous Halloween lights display they put on each year. It's not exactly my style, but I think it's so much fun to see out my front window each night. A great reminder that holiday decorating doesn't always have to look like it popped off the pages of Better Homes & Gardens. It can be fun too.

I am grateful for the smiles they put on my family's faces each night these past few weeks.

There. That was easy....

How about you?

{What are you thankful for today, right now?}

*If you have a post on thankfulness, feel free to link it up in the comments!