Grandma has lived so long, we don't know how old she truly is: she was born in China around the end of World War I.The neck brace Grandma is wearing is just a precaution for when she's in a car.
We celebrated Grandma's birthday at a local Chinese restaurant. The owners were very accommodating. Yum!
This is my cousin Michelle and her son Braden. Isn't it funny how kids can be cute even when they're not happy?
This is my auntie Nancy with her newborn grandson, Aaron.
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| From Grandma's birthday |
Actually, we celebrated not just my grandma's birthday, but also my mom's birthday . . . because they were born on the same day!
It's kind of cool that a mother and daughter can celebrate their birthdays together.
Today is Thanksgiving, so I guess Grandma's been through 90 Thanksgivings! (Oh, but they probably didn't celebrate that in China.)
This year, our family is spread out for Thanksgiving: Mary in Calgary, Mom in Sac/Fresno, and me in Los Angeles. Growing up, one of our Thanksgiving traditions was to go around the dinner table and say one thing that we were thankful for. (For some reason, it was an effort to get me to think of or say even one thing.)
This year, when I reflect on it, I am very thankful. I am thankful for my health. I am thankful that I am not in debt. I am thankful for the generous opportunities that I have been given. I am thankful for the lessons I have been taught.
But thankfulness is different now than in the Pilgrims' day, isn't it? Back then, they were thankful for everything they had, because there was a very real chance that they might die from starvation, disease, or cold.
They were thankful simply to be alive.
It is hard for me to say that for myself and mean it. After all, I'm always complaining about everything beyond that, worrying about everything past that.
Today, I will try to be thankful simply that I am alive.
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