My "I'm Thankful" List for 2009

2009 has been a year of changes for our family, but once all the dust settled, everything has worked out for the good and we are very blessed.

Following my husband's retirement in October, 2008, we realized we no longer needed to remain in our Tennessee location. We had no family in the area, just the job that had held us there. So, we put our home up for sale. It sold in two days and from that point on, we have been living life in fast forward.

Today I'm thankful for some quiet time in order to relax and reflect on all the events of 2009.

God has been so good to us. He brought us to Cumming, Georgia, which is just a fifteen minute drive to our son and daughter-in-law's house. We found ourselves in a very close-knit neighborhood with three of our neighbors also retired. My husband has found new friends to visit with simply by walking outside the front door of our house.

I'm thankful that my husband has some new friends of similar interests. Because of long working careers, men sometimes don't have time to forge good friendships. What a blessing these men are to my husband!

Our younger son went through a very painful break-up with his long-time girlfriend. Feeling the need for a change of scenery in his life following the difficult break-up, he also decided to move to Cumming, Georgia. This has brought our small family into the same area and within a few miles of one another.

I'm thankful that our small family now lives in close proximity and can visit anytime we want!

Today, the Saturday before Thanksgiving Day, we celebrated a Family Thanksgiving with our older son's in-laws. It was great to be included in such a wonderful family tradition. Not only our two sons, daughter-in-law and granddaughter were there, but most of the extended family as well.

I'm thankful to be grafted in to a new and larger family. We feel completely accepted and at home within our new family.

In spite of growing older and having many of the usual aches and pains, I can say that I feel great. My energy might not be as good as it was twenty years ago, but I can still take care of myself and my husband without much difficulty.

I'm thankful to be able to provide care for my husband at this stage of our lives. We are enjoying retirement and each other. We live our lives in the slow lane these days and try to avoid the rat race as much as possible. It is a pleasure to stand on the front porch in my bathrobe, sipping my morning coffee and waving good-bye to my working neighbors. I am truly thankful.

May your Thanksgiving Day be as truly blessed as ours!