This is especially true when you are posted in a foreign land where they don't celebrate our holiday.
We have in the past brought together a table full of Kiwi's during our two years in N.Z. and enjoyed sharing our table with our friends from Romania.
I will always make room at my table for someone who doesn't have a place to celebrate.
I love this time because we don't always take time to be thankful for what we have. Too often we are so focused on the negative to celebrate the good things. I don't like making New Years resolutions but I have come to embrace taking time to note what I have to be thankful for.
Here is my list. Please feel free to share yours.
1) My awesome husband. This has been a crazy year for us. We have lived apart more than we have lived together and pretty much changed everything about our lives. This level of stress can be a test for most relationships but I think we have come through this still strong. It's a good sign that I still miss him when he is gone.
2) My two amazing kids. My oldest for taking it in stride when his parents told him they were going to drop him off at college and then move to the other side of the world. He seems to be doing just fine with it too. My youngest for embracing this new life. I know it hasn't been easy for her, leaving her friends and starting at a new school but she is doing surprisingly well. Thank goodness for the internet.
3) Speaking of, I am thankful for the internet. It lets us all keep in touch so much easier.
4) Our friends and family back home who may not have been happy about our newest adventure but have been supportive none the less.
5) My housekeeper and driver who are both wonderful people and who have made my time here in Jakarta and this transition so much easier.
Now for the less serious but equally important and in no particular order:
6) The embassy commissary that sells wine at reasonable prices and also sells Triscuits.
7) Cheap airfare to Bali.
8) The men who deliver my drinkable water every week.
9) Amazingly cheap spa services.
10) Columbus Metropolitan Library's online lending program.
11) The men who are working so hard to have our new house ready so we can move in in January.
12) All my new friends in Jakarta. You are keeping me sane.
13) That our household shipment is finally arriving next week.
14) The opportunity to explore this part of the world!
15) Air-conditioning
16) Ripe Mangos
17) Amazon.com and the Embassy DPO system
20) That, barring an emergency, T. will be home for the next month.
21) My sweet Shanti has come though this all pretty much unscathed.
22) Podcasts
23) We have a place to go for Thanksgiving and will also have a table full of our new friends to help us celebrate on Saturday.
Shanti Says "Happy Thanksgiving!!"
P.S. Allow me a brief moment on the Soap Box. Don't go shopping today! The stuff will be there tomorrow, you won't save any more money, I promise they will still mark it down again between now and Christmas and if you don't shop on this one national family day they won't make people work on it next year. Simple economics.
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