A grateful heart 

Several stores where I live seemed to start earlier this year with the Christmas decorations. I felt like they were ready for Christmas in August. When I turn on the television, I hit every Christmas show on the air. (My wife and her love of sappy Christmas romances on the Hallmark Channel could have something to do with that.) And then everywhere I’ve turned the past two weeks I’ve stumbled across advertisements for my town’s upcoming Christmas festival.

While I love the original Christmas story, the Nativity Story, I must admit that I have a special place in my heart for Thanksgiving. It lacks the commercial glamour of Christmas, but what it lacks in pizazz, it makes up in heart-felt moments.

I’m especially in love with Thanksgiving this year. Here’s what I mean:

—I love that Thanksgiving celebrates the coming together of family and friends. In our house, my three kids will be home under the same roof for more than one night for the first time in nearly a year.

—I love the traditions, from everything from waking up to watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade to the Thanksgiving staples, turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. (The healthy eating, exercise, and 20 pounds I’ve lost over the past ten weeks will be put on the shelf for the day and that’s fine.)

—I love the chill in the air, the hope and expectation of Christmas to come, and realization that we have no where else to be, but exactly where we are.

—It’s a simple thing, but I love the idea of slowing down, if only for one day out of the year to celebrate our many blessings: family, friends, food, a warm house, work to keep us busy, and plenty of ideas to keep me writing.

I could go on-and-on, but I’ll end on this: Happy Thanksgiving.