Give Thanks

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It’s Movie Monday. So far, we’ve watched every Christmas-themed Veggie Tales episode we can find, and in just a few minutes, we plan to pop in the Elf DVD. Last year, and the year before that, Salem made us turn it off. He is scared of the elves. He will watch Narnia, Lord of the Rings, and the first three years of Harry Potter without flinching, but he is spooked by elves. Go figure. I was so relieved that today was Movie Monday because I woke up in a sick funk with a pounding headache and the flu aches. I loathe being sick because it means that I have to lay around. This is problematic as it threatens my addiction to efficiency. I like productivity and multi-tasking. To Do lists make me happy. Checking off my To Do list is like Christmas Morning. My fingers weren’t all that achy, so I set to work making my version of a “Give Thanks” banner during our all request Veggie Tales lunch.

I started gathering pine cones and pumpkins (the ones that weren’t too rotten) from the back porch to fill out my Thanksgiving mantle display. I only got as far as hanging the banner when I remembered my wedding memory box is full of Fall decor. My silk bouquet would look perfect in this yellow pot (yes silk… I was willing to make an exception to my general aversion to silk flowers to display my wedding mums).

I abandoned my Thanksgiving mantle arrangement in search of the sacred wedding box. An hour later, I had combed the attic, the garage, and every storage closet I could think of… no wedding memories. And now that I think about it, I can’t find any of our Christmas decorations either.

OK. Don’t panic.

Ordinarily, I would approach these crises more soberly, but I am not sober today evidenced by the stack of cold meds on my kitchen counter. So, I called Clark at work this afternoon completely desperate but to no avail. I got so worked up over it. As I was tearing through cabinets and Rubbermaids, I was cursing my head cold and the fact that we just moved a-GAIN and moving is the pits because you inevitably lose stuff, but my wedding box?! My Christmas decorations?! Murmur…Murmur…Murmur… and this big house, and these rotten pumpkins… moan… moan… moan… and I need a bigger flashlight to search the attic again… this thing is USELESS! I am a big girl who needs a Big Girl Flashlight…. and wah wah wah…

In the middle of my tirade, I glanced toward my unfinished Thanksgiving mantle display at the banner that I had just hung.

Give Thanks.

So, while I don’t want to write this post necessarily, I need to write this post. So here goes.

I would like to take this opportunity to Give Thanks for the little girl peering out from under her bangs (which desperately needs trimming). Lately, when she scrunches up her nose, she’s all fringe and no eyes and it is so adorable it almost makes my heart stop.

I want to go on record for Giving Thanks for the husband with whom I am about to celebrate SEVEN YEARS of marriage. Tomorrow is our anniversary, and supposedly he has a surprise up his sleeve. I am thankful for him and for surprises. So what if I can’t find our wedding memory box. (I am actually still a bit worked up about that).

Finally, I would like to Give Thanks for my son. Four years ago, I was 40 weeks pregnant with him. My head was still spinning because the doctors told me we wouldn’t be able to get pregnant, and there I was about to pop any day. Our little turkey arrived fashionably late, on Thanksgiving Day, which means that this holiday has carried a whole new significance ever since.

I feel better. Madame Blueberry says, “A thankful heart is a happy heart”. Perhaps the Veggie Tales Marathon was more of a providential reminder for me today.

Give Thanks this Happy Monday!

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