Why Thanksgiving matters...

If you took away the foods like homemade sweet potato casserole, pork loin and plumb sauce, cheesy potatoes, sweet pickles, pizza, beef roast, yankee fried rice, and cheesy rolls, I'd still love Thanksgiving more than most any holiday in the world.

I know many people would say this; that Thanksgiving is a day of giving thanks. And I say congrats on your deductive reasoning. But beyond this statement is something so much deeper that I re-learn every year.

See, growing up my life was always a bit unstable. Week to week we were unsure of my mom's income, of my dad showing up ever, of the stress level in our house. Things changed a lot, but I never knew it. Mostly because God saw to it that I was taken care of in every way.

My mom is the oldest of five (only four are in the picture to the right). When my life went upside down, they all came to the rescue. All of them including my grandparents. Not a single year goes by that I don't grow a little wiser, or a little more grateful for everything my family did for me and my brother throughout our lives. When there were no friends, they played Trouble with us or built puzzles. When there was no money for a babysitter, they signed up, played old records, danced, made mac and cheese and tucked us in with books and songs. When there was no food, my grandparents made large meals and we all ate together. When things were hard and stressful for my mom, my family took me on bike rides, lake swims, snow angel escapades and cookie making adventures. I NEVER went without; food or love.

Some of you who know me may feel bad for me at times, or think me unlucky for having a father with an incredible vanishing act, among many other qualities. To that I say: God is good. And perhaps you are the unlucky one. Perhaps you may never get to meet these incredible, selfless, loving people. Perhaps you may never see a family have such depth to their relationships, or truly care for one another in every way.

Why does thanksgiving matter? It matters to me because once a year I get to see the people who made my life worth something. Who made me matter. I get to eat and laugh and hug the ones who love me more deeply and consistently than any other person on this earth.

I give thanks because I have. I give thanks because God is provider. I give thanks because sometimes the hard stuff seems too big until God steps in, because often the hard stuff is what makes us find the good stuff. I give thanks because no matter where I live, I always have a home and a place.

A place

where I belong, where my roots are settled and strung deep in the ground.

If you live near your family, be grateful all the more at how much you get to see them. Give thanks for all they have given for you to be who you are today. Thanksgiving matters because, when you give thanks, you will learn how to truly give.