Happy Thanksgiving 2009

Happy Thanksgiving.  My family has so much to be thankful for.  We are so blessed, we are loved and healthy.  We have so much to be thankful for.  So, why is it so hard for me to sit down and write an inspiring post about how grateful I am?

This is turning out to be a tough time of year for me. I can't get the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach to get out of the way. A year ago Friday I received the news that a friend and her whole family (my sons' classmates) had died from carbon monoxide poisoning, probably on Thanksgiving Day. A whole year ago - I remember sitting on a couch in a condo at Keystone. It was snowing like crazy and we were debating whether to hit the slopes or not. In that moment time seemed to stand still. All of the intense feelings and deep personal thoughts that I still can't vocalize, seemed to stifle the day.

I'm scheduling this post ahead of our trip to the mountains where we will ski Beaver Creek this year.  I'm looking forward to the sunny Colorado slopes, the cold air and the free feeling as we make our way down the mountain on our snowboards.  The mountains are my escape.  My time to unplug, away from internet, work, and the craziness of every day life.  Escape from reality.  Some reality is hard to escape and so I feel a little bit of trepidation - almost like I just want the day to come and go.  This year has changed so many things for us - our children have faced so many life lessons.  I'm thankful for how we have all grown and loved, I'm thankful for faith, for friendship, and hope.  I am so very thankful that I have my family to love and hold close.