Posted: 24 Nov 2012 07:24 AM PST
I have been up early nearly every morning this week getting some baking done for my husband's family/church Thanksgiving, baking the day before Thanksgiving, cooking all day on Thursday with the Macy's parade going on the the background, and finally getting up early on Friday morning to take advantage of some of the deals at Petsmart (we spoil our animals, so sue us!). I am in the midst now of recovering and reflecting on what a pleasure this week has been and how blessed David and I are to have ones who love us.
I am so thankful that my husband and I have this close of a family. His aunts and uncles and cousins make a point to be so much closer than my extended family has, and it is such a blessing for me to now be a part of that family as his wife. They love each other fiercely and protectively look out for one another and they make a point to make time to all get together for the Holidays at their church's fellowship hall. I think that is something to be cherished - something that my family once had when the generations had more siblings and were younger. It makes me crave a larger family, to carry on that tradition. To inspire them all to want to be together.
On Thanksgiving Day, we hosted my family as well as my husband's, and for the first time, we had all of our immediate family, at one point under one roof! I remember having times like that as a child, and how nice it was, the more people that were there. We interacted as both a whole and as individuals. No one was excluded. I closed the door on Thanksgiving night to the last guest, and David and I both paused to say aloud how wonderful that was. We are so blessed to have these people in our lives! We are dually blessed that they all made it - even at different points of the day - to come by. Nothing is so comforting as having your loved ones nearby.
The older I get, the more I realize the importance of family.
When you're young, you believe that friendships are everything. And indeed, friendships are a huge part of adolescent development. But friends come and go, they disappoint you and never feel that obligation to love and forgive the way you feel with your family.
The Bible encourages us to cleave closer to our families, and I admit, that in the past, it has been difficult for me to do that. Familial structure for me has never been entirely stable. Sometimes I had little family, sometimes I felt unwelcome with step-parents, sometimes things just seemed to keep falling apart and again and again I felt myself feeling very alone. When I decided to begin my own life with my husband, I went into it wanting something very different. I felt determined to have it. I wanted to be a part of a new kind of family, one with structure and communication and understanding. I wanted my children to have the thing that I never had - the security of home. The Lord has blessed us so far, with an incredible support system. We were very rich in hugs and I love you's before the holiday was through.
This Thanksgiving was really a wonderful day of Thanks and one I'll remember for years to come.
I am so thankful that my husband and I have this close of a family. His aunts and uncles and cousins make a point to be so much closer than my extended family has, and it is such a blessing for me to now be a part of that family as his wife. They love each other fiercely and protectively look out for one another and they make a point to make time to all get together for the Holidays at their church's fellowship hall. I think that is something to be cherished - something that my family once had when the generations had more siblings and were younger. It makes me crave a larger family, to carry on that tradition. To inspire them all to want to be together.
On Thanksgiving Day, we hosted my family as well as my husband's, and for the first time, we had all of our immediate family, at one point under one roof! I remember having times like that as a child, and how nice it was, the more people that were there. We interacted as both a whole and as individuals. No one was excluded. I closed the door on Thanksgiving night to the last guest, and David and I both paused to say aloud how wonderful that was. We are so blessed to have these people in our lives! We are dually blessed that they all made it - even at different points of the day - to come by. Nothing is so comforting as having your loved ones nearby.
The older I get, the more I realize the importance of family.
When you're young, you believe that friendships are everything. And indeed, friendships are a huge part of adolescent development. But friends come and go, they disappoint you and never feel that obligation to love and forgive the way you feel with your family.
The Bible encourages us to cleave closer to our families, and I admit, that in the past, it has been difficult for me to do that. Familial structure for me has never been entirely stable. Sometimes I had little family, sometimes I felt unwelcome with step-parents, sometimes things just seemed to keep falling apart and again and again I felt myself feeling very alone. When I decided to begin my own life with my husband, I went into it wanting something very different. I felt determined to have it. I wanted to be a part of a new kind of family, one with structure and communication and understanding. I wanted my children to have the thing that I never had - the security of home. The Lord has blessed us so far, with an incredible support system. We were very rich in hugs and I love you's before the holiday was through.
This Thanksgiving was really a wonderful day of Thanks and one I'll remember for years to come.
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