It’s a Thankful Thursday. My pastor reminded me yesterday that Thanksgiving celebrations have been around for millennia. In Deuteronomy, Moses gives the Israelites a mandate to give thanks during the Festival of Weeks. It is a reminder that every day should be a day of thanks.

Today, I am thankful for

The beautiful light on the trees. I came home from the grocery store yesterday afternoon to see this:

My family. There will be an empty seat at the Summer family table again this year, the eighth Thanksgiving without Daddy. Yet, he will be there in spirit. Mama celebrated her 88th birthday in May and is in remarkable health. I am thankful to have her. I will miss my younger son and his family because he has to work his shift at the fire station.

My grandson. Sully is thriving and running his mama and daddy ragged! When he was born two years ago, he was very much premature. We expected a “Thanksgiving turkey” but ended up with a “Halloween Pumpkin” instead. He figured out how to open his daddy’s big-boy pliers.

For beautiful weather. The Summer-Price-Fulmer-Gorsage families had lunch today outside. It was cool, but I wore a shawl to keep warm. The sky is a wonderful shade of blue; clouds are the soft, wispy ones. It couldn’t have been a better day.

It’s all too easy to be thankful when things are going well or when “big things” happen. However, I am thankful for the small things as well, like the golden sunlight of late afternoons, the heat that comes on when it’s 37 degrees outside, good food and fellowship with extended family, a peaceful afternoon, good books, time to write and draw and create, the health and good lives of my children and grandchild. These things are simple pleasures, and I am thankful.