Thanks

There have been moments in my life that come close to heaven on earth. They're not what you might think. One, I vividly recall, was just after my husband went missing for several hours after he should have been home from work. I envisioned him lying in a ditch somewhere, and went into panic mode, but all that had actually happened was his work vehicle getting locked behind a gate of a backwoods area he was mapping soils in, and him having to walk several miles down a mountain to get to a phone. Later that evening I went for a walk. and as I returned up the driveway, there he was in the yard playing with the kids. In that moment, everything in my world was perfect.

More recently - last night, in fact - just sitting around the dinner table with my family brought on the same feeling. Today is the big feast at our friends' house, our yearly Thanksgiving tradition. But after the last few weeks of rollercoaster emotions, the simple act of sharing and ordinary meal with the people I love most was, for me anyhow, pure bliss. It really is the little things that matter most.

And for those, I give thanks.