Rubber Glove Turkeys

God is great.

God is good.

Thank you for this food.

Amen.

The words are basic.  Its the first prayer that most of us learn as a child.  A simple thanks for a simple thing.  And yet, year by year, our lives get less simple.  Clutter and complex take over where basic and simple once resided.  We stop folding our hands.  We cease in bowing our heads.  Oftentimes we even forget the words.

This is the second holiday I have spent in the hospital over the past year.  Each time, as the world slows down around me, I am acutely aware of the very basic things that I should be grateful for.  Today, from my viewpoint, I had to start writing them down.  There wasn't enough space in the ole noggin to store it all.

Today I fold my hands.

Today I bow my head.

I'll start with this lady, one of my oldest and dearest friends.

This morning she woke up, ran in a 5K Turkey Trot, and MADE ME THIS ----->

What a great way to start the day!  I felt like I was in one of those Jimmy Dean commercials.  Weary and tired gives way to the lady wearing a sun costume holding a breakfast sandwich.

{Disclaimer - I probably should have warned what few readers I have, that I'm tired and my writing might be slightly nonsensical (and I may invent words)}

And then these two came to visit.

100% authentic, unfiltered, outrageousness contained in these two little bodies.  My brother's boys remind me so much of my brothers when they were little.  As they knelt at the foot of my chair, all I could do was just sweep them up in my lap and give them as many kisses as I could.  It was overwhelming.  I just love their stinkin' guts.  And we made turkeys out of rubber gloves.

This afternoon we started getting hungry.  This wonderful friend came to the rescue.

She is another one of my nearest and dearest that loves my family like they are her own.  Today she knew The Rev would have to have a good Thanksgiving meal.  She interrupted her family time to prepare lovely plates for my parents to enjoy at the hospital.  The food was just amazing.

As I said earlier in this post, this is my second holiday hospital stay in twelve months, as we were in ICU with Robbie's dad last Christmas.  In both of these hospital stays, we have been blessed with an amazing medical staff.  Enter Pete.

There is no picture of Pete.  Close your eyes and envision a tall, dark headed nurse who gave our favorite red head a run for her money.  He was sarcastic, attentive, and extremely pleasant to be around.  There were many acts of service from the staff this week and we are thankful for the care they gave mom.

I'm not a fan of being away from my kids.  EVER.  Its even harder when there is a holiday involved.  Modern technology.  Isn't it grand?

FaceTime with my kids.  We talked about the Purina Dog Show, Aunt Diane's dinner, and our misbehaving puppy.  These seven minutes made my heart smile.

God is great.

God is good.

Thank you for these things.

AMEN.

Happy Day of Simple Thanks.  Try it out.  It feels good.

~ao