After spending some time with my family, this weekend, in the backyard of my son and daughter-in-law, I have reflected on my thankfulness for the gift of being parents that my sons, daughter, and niece and their spouses are living.
Most of the family mentioned below
(Chris, Crystal, Gary, Deb, Gabe, are absent from picture)
My experience is that the key to excellent encounters with parents is to focus on their children. We have much to be thankful for and I will review the past year through my interaction with the children. My thanksgiving for Fall 2019 is highlighted by my being with Reid when we would hang out after “pre-school” and seeing his parents Pat and Nea through his eyes.
Reid and Fall Frisbee
The past winter offered drives to medical appointments with Lilly and Miles and appreciating their maturing as older teens. Their parents, Chris and Crystal were very generous with helping Farris and I in my weeks of cancer treatment and the Covid-19 days of the winter.
Summer 2020 Lilly and Miles
My gratitude for Farris loving care in treatment, surgery, and recovery is immeasurable. Our sharing experiences of the children and teens in the family helped fill the hours and warm the days.
Papa and Sity walk with Locklin
In the spring, visits with Locklin brought much joy and thankfulness, especially for the generosity of his parents, George and Katie in their attention to Farris and I.
Locklin Fall 2020
As Summer dawned, connection with Kim and Tyler was enhanced by talking about how Gabe was navigating early teens amid all our isolation.
Kim, Tyler, and Gabe Spring 2017
I am very thankful for how the parents of Gabe and Reid were able to rally on very short notice to set up a great bed for my recovery after an early release from hospital after my surgery.
The excellent bed
I will always be thankful for the wonderful people, health professionals and patients, who I encountered in my journey through diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and recovery this year.
People and Health Professionals care here
Talking about children and grandchildren always brought so many smiles in those days. As Fall 2020 continues I am thankful that Joelle, and her parents Ashley and Ryan
Ashley, Joelle, and Ryan
have drawn my brother Gary and his spouse Deb to live in Nova Scotia after their decades together in Western Canada and northwestern US.
Pauline, Gary, and Deb
As “grandparents” we are always thankful for this stage of our lives where our love of our grandchildren opens so many opportunities to celebrate thanksgiving in all the seasons of life.
