Happy Thanksgiving
It would seem apropos to mark today by giving thanks.
I am grateful for my family. My children are interesting, funny, cute, thought-provoking, kind and good. My husband is the love of my life and my best friend. This is our 16th Thanksgiving. My parents are a source of inspiration, help, joy, laughter and love. I am so glad I get to share my home and my life with them. I am thankful for my extended family, near and far. And our dear friends, with whom we have shared joy and hardship, laughter and tears. It is nice to know there is a little love out there in the world for us.
I am also thankful for my life in America, in the first world, as one of the “haves” even without a Kate Spade purse under the Christmas tree – where sarcasm is acceptable discourse, where I can vote, wear pants, move freely, surf the web. We have enough to eat, a nice house to live in, opportunity and hope.
And so for my travel tie-in, I am thankful for all of the people who left their comfortable homes, their regular routines, their whole old world to move to America. They may have been poor, but they found the money for a tremendously expensive journey. They may have been scared, but they got on the boat. They settled, they had babies, they laid the foundation for my family, the one for which I am so grateful.
Thank you to:
the Ratayczaks, Rob’s dad’s dad’s family, who left Polish Germany in the early 20th century.
the Kollrosses, my dad’s dad’s family, who left Bohemian Germany in the late 19th century.
the Vandenburgs, Rob’s dad’s mom’s mom’s family, who left the Netherlands in the mid 19th century
the O’Briens, my dad’s mom’s family, who left Ireland in the late 19th century.
the DuBoises, my mom’s dad’s family, who left Belgium in the mid 19th century.
the Dimmetts, Rob’s mom’s dad’s family, who followed the Pilgrims in the 17th century.
the Payes, my mom’s mom’s family, who left Belgium in the mid 19th century.
the Dohertys, Rob’s mom’s mom’s family, who left Great Britain in the 17th century.
Happy Thanksgiving!