Giving Thanks

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving has already come and gone.  I'm still digesting a few too many servings of mashed potatoes and apple pie and I'm not at all ready to trade in the turkey trimmings for tree trimming.  I'd like to pause a bit to just be grateful for all we have before we start making lists of all we want and all we hope that Santa will bring.  In an effort to preserve this fleeting season of thankfulness, we're focusing on what we're thankful for when we say our evening prayers.  

The bedtime prayer in our house is a tradition that started when our oldest, Liam, was about two.  Back then, they went something like this...

Mom and Dad:  "Dear God, Thanks for this great day."
Liam:  "Tomorrow is going to be a new day."
Mom and Dad:  "Thank you for our health and for the roof over our head."
Liam:  "Thank you God for my arm, it's not broke and thank you for the hair on my head."

Needless to say, you gotta love a two year old's perpsective on health and shelter and, we always like to joke that at the time, Liam had barely any hair on his head but, my Dad and grandfather sure were grateful for what little they had left!  In any case, there's nothing like little kids to remind you of what really matters and it is in that spirit -- in their spirit -- that I share a few more things that we're grateful for here in the Lyons Den.

"Thank you God for... cozy beds, cars, dolls, dogs, rain, sun, the stars and the moon, for Murphy (our Golden Retriever who died almost three years ago, as remembered by Ciara, only four!), for birthday cake, for the beach, for swimming pools, for school (an especially astute thanks from our now almost six year old!), for the people in Haiti and the people in Chile (we think they mean to say God Bless them, but thanks will do!), for toothpaste and for little brothers."

Enough said.  We're grateful for all five of our little Cubs, for each other and for the fact there is only one piece of pie left in the fridge.  Tomorrow is indeed a new day and, it just might be the day when the Christmas decorations come out and we transition from the season of Thanks to the season of Giving.  Amen.