Reflecting on the past year every Thanksgiving, I always have much to be thankful for. I find that to be particularly true in 2019 - a year I won't be all that sad to see end.
This year, I'm most grateful for life. I'm grateful for a perfect baby granddaughter born in July who just makes my heart melt every time I see her and hold her (which, of course, isn't nearly often enough). I'm grateful for family, both immediate and extended. I'm grateful for friends, both old and new. I'm grateful for co-workers, many of whom also fit into that friend category.
The year 2019 started with an extra, unplanned week off work to be by my parents' side at St. Cloud Hospital. My dad was admitted to the hospital the very night we returned from a weeklong family Christmas vacation to Mexico. Though my dad had a few health issues while we were there, unbeknownst to all of us he had suffered a mild heart attack during the week.
I'm thankful that my dad recovered and is now feeling as good as a near 80-year-old can feel after months of recovery. I'm thankful to my mom for taking such excellent care of him and patiently nursing him back to health. I'm thankful to co-workers who dove in and covered for me without complaint during a holiday week with an early deadline.
Those co-workers did the same for me the week of Memorial Day, when I took another unplanned week off, again to spend at St. Cloud Hospital. My daughter's boyfriend had suffered severe injuries in a motorcycle accident and I needed to be by her side.
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I'm so thankful for the emergency response people, nurses, doctors, surgeons and therapists who helped this young man not only survive, but work his way back to a quality of life. I'm thankful for the medical personnel and therapists he'll continue to work with into 2020 as he continues his healing journey.
I'll never be able to adequately express the gratitude I have for all the people who rallied to help in any way they could these past six months. I'm so thankful for each and every one of them.
In August, my co-workers stepped up once again as I took yet another emergency week off, this time for my father-in-law who was in the hospital in Rochester. He's had more than his fair share of health issues in the past few years, and this time I truly think many – including him – thought this was the end.
I'm thankful that he rebounded and was able to return home. I'm thankful for family members who take care of him every day, especially since we live more than three hours away from him. I'm thankful for the past weekend we spent with him, relaxing and taking him out for a Sunday drive.
This Thanksgiving Day, I give thanks for all the wonderful people in my life, and I give thanks for the precious gift of life itself. Don't ever take it for granted, and be thankful for the good in your life. Happy Thanksgiving!
