nfb: Thanksgiving.........whats it mean to you?

[wolfdogs]

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. I inherited that from my Mother (God rest her soul). Christmas is gr8, sure....but the gift giving thing does'nt make me stop and think about my "life" as a whole... Thanksgiving does.

This Thanksgiving is going to be another tough one for us, with the loss of my son, Kenny, last April. Just one more member of my family that will now be missing on this special day.

When I look back over the years, especialy since 1996...when I first ordered my 97 CompTA and got into the SLP Engineering "thing".... I get a lump in my throat......

It all started with the loss of Bandit, our half malimute half sheperd. What an awesome dog... most well behaved and faithful dog in the world..... cancer took him at age 10, in 1996........ Then a stroke hit my Mother in August of 1999....she nevered fully recovered and died November of 99...... then congestive heart failure in June of 2000 almost took my beloved Nikona, my first wolfdog...my "soul animal".....she was the highlight of my life ... she lived another 2 years on 259.00 a month worth of heart medication... i cut our budget to compensate..Mary was out of work starting Jan of 2000..... we also cut our vacations out and weekend trips...for boarding Nik was out of the question...and we had to administer her meds at 7am, 11am, 3pm, and 7pm, every single day....... but it was worth it.... then it really hit the fan in 2001, first Ginger died right before Christmas , our half Akita half Husky...we had since we got together, before we got married... she was 17 years old when she passed away..... then tragedy struck again, Nikona went into congestive heart failure again in 2002, and they couldnt stop it....she died in my arms.....something i will never forget.... then Smokey, our cat of 14 years..passed away, it really hit Mary hard...... we got a break for year, till April of 2004...when Kenny was killed........

Am I feeling sorry for myself? No. Thats not the intention here. Of course I'm not thankfull for all that tragedy above.......who would be.?......but I am thankfull for the opportunity to share my life with all of them, you never forget, you just learn to live with it... Im thankfull God granted me the chance to make a difference in thier lives, like they did mine, for my strength, my health, my good job, and my safety from phyical harm, so that I could provide for all close to me. Im thankfull for the special gift God granted me, the gift of "a way with animals"..... so that I can continue to make a difference in more lives, and give them a chance they wouldnt have if they tried on thier own...... Im thankfull for the new creatures God has blessed my life with, Reno, Keona the wolfdog, and Shelby, our rescued Golden Retriever... they make every day special for me, in so many ways......

Im thankfull I had a chance to grow up a surfer in Hawaii.....thankfull for the chance to make the decision of either stay there or go on with more serious aspects of life and seek good employment....no remain a beach bum in paradise glassing surfboards for 10 bucks an hour........ thankfull for all the places Ive traveled to, and how many times I got to travel while working for the Govt, the people I met, the places i visited, and the things I got to experience...and that i was kept safe.....

Im thankfull for all the good folks ive met on the internet.....especially the f body folks, many who became very close friends after meeting them in person.... and all the experiences and good times our two cars brought us.....

Im thankfull God has seen it fit that be given a chance to go on at 57 and start my rescue organization, which i hope to continue and expand after I retire...thankfull im physically able to work out everyday.......to keep myself fit for the many tasks to come the next years in building a sanctuary and handling wolfdogs....

yes, the list is endless.......it really is...

so tomorrow........ as im eating Thanksgiving dinner with mary and her parents, who are 91 and 87....ill be thinking of all this.....at times, i may clench my fists in emotional pain under the table, and other times take a deep breath and smile with a nod of my head......

no matter whether you believe in God or not.......thats an individuals choice... be thankfull tomorrow.... because we take so much for granted, folks...........

if you travel...please stay safe... dont take chances......

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone...........

Wolfman luvs yall........

[DierDesire824]

great write


have a happy thanksgiving everyone
luv 2 every1

[Squat13]

Man all this Thanksgiving stuff is getting me so ready for Daytona..... The Turkey run will be so awsome..... last year I saw an orignal 69' Z28 with the ORIGNAL DZ 302 and A CROSS RAM!!!!!!!!!!! It was only topped by the sound I heard from a 68' Dodge Hemi Dart Replica (It had a 528 CI hemi )

I wonder if this is what the Pilgrams thought of when the landed on Plymouth Rock

[Christopherrr]

since I'll be out the rest of the day and tomorrow...Happy Thanksgiving everyone...my prayers go out to all. Be safe and you all take care...ride on fellow f-bods!

[wolfdogs]

Man all this Thanksgiving stuff is getting me so ready for Daytona..... The Turkey run will be so awsome..... last year I saw an orignal 69' Z28 with the ORIGNAL DZ 302 and A CROSS RAM!!!!!!!!!!! It was only topped by the sound I heard from a 68' Dodge Hemi Dart Replica (It had a 528 CI hemi )

I wonder if this is what the Pilgrams thought of when the landed on Plymouth Rock

im still planning on givin you a shout on the tele. maybe this weekend?

[95TransAm]

Good write wolf. I too agree, it's not that we are thankful for our tragedies, it's to be thankful that we had an opportunity to share ourselves with someone else...to help them (and us at the same time) grow as people. Everything happens for a reason, and its up to us to dwell on it, or to try and make the most of it.

I myself am thankful for quite a few things. I have always been thankful that i was born in this country. It always upsetted me thinking about so many countries and people who hardly have a life. There will be starving children on Thanksgiving desperately looking for something to eat, while i myself am privledged enough to have a hot meal in a house with my family and the bears playing dallas . I am very thankful for these things, and wish i could share it with the so many who don't have the same fortune as myself. It's all about appreciating what we have, not being upset about what we don't have.

Gotta appreciate the bird too, F-Body love

My blessings to all

have a happy thanksgiving everyone

[TraceZ]

I am most thankfull that I met my wife. She is truely an angel.

I went through a tough breakup before meeting Tami. For 6 months I was a shell of myself. It took me 2 years to be happy again by myself, then I met Tami. She made time for me and treated me with love. She has given herself to me completely, and we have made a family together.

Thank you, Tami. I'll love you forever.

[markd79ta]

My four year old son was asked to draw and talk about why he was thankful at preschool.

This is what he wrote: T-Rex, Dinosaurs, Dinner, and Food

His mom, dad, friends, family, Jesus, and his puppy didn't make it on the list.


For me...I am just thankful to have had another year with both my parents. I am thankful that my father's kidney cancer was found and it was taken care of before anything bad happened. I am thankful that I have the Grace of God. I am very thankful that I have a home, and that I was able to buy it. I am very thankful that despite all of my mistakes, through prayer and a lot of work, I have overcome them and living life pretty well right now. I am thankful that I have a healthy, fun, ACTIVE, and loving son who has made it through another year...lets see if he and his puppy can make it through another

[DWS'95Bird]

my list of things to be thankful for is too long to itemize, but being granted a new day is the greatest gift of all!

as you are with family and friends celebrating Thanksgiving, take pause and give a special remembrance for those who are far from home protecting our freedom....

[raroZ28]

My four year old son was asked to draw and talk about why he was thankful at preschool.

This is what he wrote: T-Rex, Dinosaurs, Dinner, and Food

haha, man that is freakin' awesome. 4 year olds rule

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday too. I just love the food, and it's always fun getting the entire family together.

[gimp19]

I'll be thinking of my Grandpa who I spent my last Thanksgiving with in 2003, he died of cancer in the spring of '04 god bless his soul.

On the brighter side I am lucky at 21 years old to still have my other three grandparents still alive and healthy and for that I am thankfull.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving

[ONLNTM5]

I was going to post something yesterday, on the this subject, but just didn’t do it. Lets just say that I am thankful for the first time in 7 years. Seven years ago yesterday, mine and my family’s blessed lives were rocked, and a destruction of life as we knew it, began. It is a long drawn out story, but to make a long story short, 7 years ago yesterday, my father had an operation to take care of a serious gall bladder condition. That same day, my beautiful wife was diagnosed with Fibroid tumors. She was operated on a few weeks later, in December of 97, and they found cancer during the operation. Then as if things were not bad enough, due to complications of the gall bladder surgery, my father, my best friend, died suddenly a month later on January 13, 1998. My wife battled the cancer until she died on March 11, 2001.
This time of the year had turned into nothing but bad memories for me, even Christmas. Thanksgiving and Christmas have turned into just another day, like every other day. I only really celebrate Christmas, and that’s because I have to, because of the kids. They always go to visit their relatives on their mother’s side of the family on Thanksgiving, and I usually just stay home and enjoy the peace and quiet. If I’m lucky, which I usually am not, the kids will bring me back a plate of food. Its usually a bunch of dessert though, which I don’t eat that much of-oh well-kids. I have always done all of the Christmas shopping, over the years, and still do, and try to do the best that I can for the kids. Its all for them anyway, but its just not the same anymore to me, and I am glad when its over.

So, anyway, the reason that I am thankful this year, is because of something that I have been noticing lately. Its how peaceful life is, where I live. When you see how people live around the world, like in Iraq, for example, then the contrast is quite distinct. I don’t hear gunshots, or bombs going off all of time, or ever, like they do over there. I don’t live in constant fear. I am free to walk around my neighborhood if I want, and without fear. I have just come to appreciate this country so much more, and the freedoms that I have. It boggles my mind the number of American brothers and sisters that have fought and died for our freedom. They are a special breed, like you will not find anywhere else in the world. I am truly thankful to all of you guys out there protecting us and fighting the good fight for the ideals that make this country possible.
Now, all of this may sound like a lot of whining about my problems and a lot of corny statements, but this is my story of why I am thankful this year.

[Joe 1320]

To me, it is also the same time as my mother's birthday. Each year I give thanks for life and it's experiences, with the hopes that I continue to learn every day.

[Thomas L. Parker]

This one is different!

This will be the first without all the family around. Son is in Iraq and will be dining upon whatever they happen to cook that day along with the boxes of goodies that we have sent. His Marine unit is normally in the thick of things doing a "Toys for Tots" drive at this time of the year. Since they are deployed, the families stepped in. We had a goal of 620 bikes but on Monday afternoon, at the end of the drive, we had over 1000! The following is a story of that event that I put in the local newspaper:

While Marine Reserve Company K is in Iraq, their “Toys for Tots” program still marches forward. A contingent of volunteers is filling in for our deployed troops. Made up of family members, local media and others that want to help, they are carrying on in the true spirit of their Marine family members and friends that are half a world away.

Watching their tireless efforts to collect bicycles over these past few days was a real eye opener. They know that Christmas is going to be brighter for hundreds of area children this year. That thought drives them past fatigue. It soon becomes apparent that not all Marines wear the uniform.

Their uniforms are caps, jackets with their favorite sports team emblems and jeans. Their enthusiasm seems boundless. Some stand by the hour, putting bikes together while others collect the donations of money and toys. They keep up with the “count” and cheer when it reaches a new high.

The outpouring of support from the Huntsville community gives one pause to wonder. A car drives up, “What do you need?” asks the driver. It returns later, trunk full of bikes or toys. A truck arrives with six bikes in the back. One little boy, with help from Mom and Dad, rides a new bike in. Groups make donations of money and storage space. This is truly a community that counts the deed and not the cost.

Tom

[ryan34]

The reason Thanksgiving is one of my favriote holidays is because it is about the only holiday left that isn't labeled for retail. I work in retail and we started selling christmas stuff before halloween was even over with.