Thankful...('Tis the Season?)

Oh, the "thankfulness" trend that strikes Facebook every November! It's almost as if to say, "I'll find something to be thankful for this month...but the other 11 months of the year, I'm using Facebook as my personal barf bag of whine."
(Cynical, Cass? Sheesh, that's sarcastic even for me!)
I'm kidding...mostly! I've been listening to the Bobby Bones show on The Bull, in the morning. It's hilarious-it's a far cry from the political garbage I had been assaulting my brain with, and it keeps me entertained while I'm on the long drive. This morning, he was talking about weird things that people whine about on Facebook, and I so understood!
Disclaimer: I have bronchitis, and I was griping about it yesterday on Facebook. So, I'm totally guilty of this from time-to-time. I'm willing to admit that I will occasionally use Facebook as a soapbox in my pity party. I'm sorry, and I will try to do better.
Bobby Bones talked about how he blocks the chronic complainers, and I had to wonder if that's me? How often do I complain on social media? Even if it's a little bit, it needs to change, right? Especially as a Christian:  "Yeah, everybody! Find Jesus like I did--isn't my life AWESOME?!?!?"
Um, NO.
Fail.
This doesn't mean I'm relinquishing my love of Grumpy Cat...but it definitely means I will be rethinking my posts even more than I already do. And he has me thinking about blocking the feed of the chronic complainers that I know on Facebook...You know, the ones who never say anything good or happy...the ones that criticize everything...the ones that rain on everyone else's parade? It's too awkward to unfriend them, because I know they'd know...So, thanks to Mr. Bones, I'm going to start blocking people that I find depressing. And I'm going to determine more than ever to be the opposite of that. You should WANT to be my friend on Facebook. You should find me uplifting, amusing, and some kind of a testimony, no matter how broken I am. Even broken things can be used as vessels for something.
I usually try to keep it humorous on Facebook, as a rule, because no matter what, life is funny. There's ALWAYS something to laugh at....you just have to look really, really hard to find it, sometimes.
In this season of thankfulness, though, I wanted to jump on the bandwagon. You see, this just might be my favorite holiday (besides Christmas) in spite of the sad memories that go along with it. Thanksgiving, 11/28, marks 7 years since my beautiful princess Hannah passed away. It's been 7 years since we said goodbye, and those memories are never far from my brain.
This Thanksgiving will be the first truly Happy Thanksgiving we've had ever since, and I am so excited to celebrate it. My in-laws throw the conventional celebration (with the best stuffing and Fried Turkey that you could EVER dream of), with too many people in too small of a house...with paper plates, and loud noises, and lots of family. It will be crowded, sweaty, and fun, and I will be chasing my little guy all over the place (he's mobile, and there are stairs).
My  mother will serve an incredible, beautiful feast of Lord-only-knows what. I'm always both shocked and impressed at what makes its way onto her Thanksgiving table...It might be her super-cheesy broccoli noodles, or Hawaiian bread, or Chinese cole slaw--who knows? What stays the same every year is that it is a lovely gathering of the ones who I hold most dear in my life...And I will be chasing my little guy all over the place, in a much larger house that offers many more shiny things for him to crawl toward.
I can't wait to make these memories. I'm so thankful for my families...for my Mom, who takes care of my little guy several days a week...who always takes care of me...who drives me crazy in the best and worst of ways, and who always points me to Jesus...who has taught me more about serving than anyone on this planet...I'm thankful for my Dad, and for his gruffness...for teaching me to stand up for myself, and that you can do anything you set your mind to, if you have the right tools (what are those?!?). I'm thankful for my in-laws, and for their kindness in helping us through difficult financial times...for their willingness to share their blessings with all of their kids, and for never shaming us when we've had to ask for help.
I'm looking forward to this Thanksgiving with such hope and such happiness...there is more to be thankful for in this season than most people know. David and I are changing directions in how we look at need....what do we really "need," and what do we we really "want?" It's a frustrating transition, but it's a necessary one. I'm thankful to have our needs met, and that our wants are honestly, few. We have each other; we have our little miracle guy. We have electricity, running water, and a refrigerator that's full.
Most of all, we have a Lord that has blessed us with His love...with His grace, which is so sufficient. He's blessed us with things like forgiveness, for when we take our griping to a public forum--of course we should do the same (and more often!) with our thankfulness!
I'm so thankful for my family. I'm thankful for the time I get to spend with all of them, and for a little bit of time off of work.
I'm thankful that we are creating new, happy memories to offset some very sad ones...but even those very sad memories have moments of brightness that I still recall, and that I'm grateful for.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all...I am grateful for my friends who remind me, one way or another, that every day deserves a laugh...
Proverbs 31: "She can laugh at the days to come."
That's true....but sometimes I think there's just as much value in being able to laugh at the days past...