In my imagination our Thanksgiving dinner looks exactly like this Norman Rockwell painting. All of our children, and our children’s children gather together around the table, sharing love, mutual respect, and turkey—in my imagination.

In reality—D, Kai Li, KiKi, and I will gather around our dinner table to give thanks for all of our blessings, and for each other. There will be love, mutual respect, our turkey and only one guest.

Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest; and let this food to us be blessed.

Most of the posts you’ll find here at CCB reflect our blessings…the many, many things we have to be thankful for. Our health, our home, our marriage of nearly forty years and so much more tell of the goodness and favor poured out upon us.

“So…where are the children and the children’s children?” you ask.

My personal philosophy is summed up this way: Be kind or be quiet. To me that means when it comes to talking about the reasons for our solitary holiday celebration I choose to be very, very quiet.

Over the years, as our “family” has moved further and further apart, both in miles and in kinship, D and I have decided to cling to the words of the Lord recorded in the gospel of Matthew and simply move forward, toward the goal we believe God has in mind for us.

Today we began the preparations for our Thanksgiving day together. There will be cinnamon rolls for breakfast. The champagne is chilled, bread broken for dressing, carrot and celery sticks crisping for the relish tray, cranberry jelly and pie dough are ready and waiting. Tomorrow we will enjoy a turkey, with all the trimmings giving thanks for the bounty.

Thanksgiving will be…as always…a SPECIAL day here at the cottage and for that we give thanks. We will also give thanks that the “family” who has chosen to separate themselves from us are well, prosperous, mutually respectful of their own households and apparently enjoying a special day as well.

We pray your day is blessed and SPECIAL. too.

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.  For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s foes will be those of his own household.  He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:34-38 (RSV)