I can still see in my grandmothers face and feel in the warmth of her hug, the love that went into the gift of homemade mittens. How each stich in her homemade flannel shirts held together with love, to cover the backs of my grandfather and uncles. How the quilts that took hours, weeks and months to put together piece by piece are used even till this day to keep her family warm. The simple gifts, in some peoples opinion not worth a lot. She has been gone from her earthly home many years, but her gifts, they still live on and are used with the love that a grandmother wove into each piece.

The handcrafted school desk made by a grandfather for his great grand-daughter. Even to this day, though she has been married many years and traveled to many new homes, the desk accompanies her. The loved shared between an old man and a tiny child is in every inch of the sawed, honed, and sanded wood. His legacy in the talks, teachings that went with the making of the desk.

A old antique wicker rocking chair, worth in monetary units maybe a few thousand, but priceless to a daughter who received it from her mother. The rocker given to a daughter who was rocked and sang to as a baby in that chair. Given with the hopes and love of future grandchildren. For you see it is more than a rocker it is a bonding of love between mother and child.

The gift of music passed to a son who at the age of thirteen with no father searches for his way into manhood. A used guitar, not much to look at, but with every chord taught by his mother, the love shown in the knowledge she was giving him something he could hold just for himself. With love she started letting go to her sons own creativity. His beginning steps into manhood given with love.

The love of one sister for another to reach out and find missing siblings of an older half sister. Even though she knew it would mean sharing her sister with others. The blessings of that gift has not taken away from but added to the love shared in her sisters heart. An unselfish act of love that forever changed lives.

The brother in law who with a sister made a point of visiting once a week a young mother of two children, recently divorced with no support from the childrens father. Struggling to make a life better than the one she left. After every visit she would find twenty or so dollars tucked somewhere. She would call to say thanks only to hear what money, don't know what your talking about. The money in itself of no importance without knowing the love and caring reasons it was left. Another gift of selfless love.

A homeless man walking down the stretch of highway in front of a home where a family barbeque is taking place. The old man with worn clothes, tattered suitcase held together by duct tape, with slouched shoulders stood looking at a families laughter and festivities. I turned to my family and said I am going to fix him a plate and take it to him. No No! you don't know if he is dangerous or not. I said he don't eat I don't eat! And so the man was invited to our table. What a gift of love that was. As his story unfolded with questions from us, you began to understand what pain and love had brought him to this place. He had lost his wife and daughter in a car crash years before. He went a little out of his mind after that and could not function, lost all he owned and became homeless. Now I know that the very men that didn't want to feed this man that day learned a lesson in humility and thankfulness. He told them how lucky we all were to have each other and to treasure it because it can be gone in an instant. After eating he left against many protest for him to stay longer. My heart was forever rewarded by his smile and thank you ma'am before he was on his way. Somehow I think he may still be out there teaching people to be thankful for who they have in their lives. You see he was not mourning the loss of the material things in his life, but the love loss that left his heart empty.

When I look over what I am to give thanks for this year at thanksgiving time, I see it is not only a holiday thanks that I give but one of evey moment. I am thankful for the LOVE in my life. I am thankful for the reaching out of every hand, the arms that wrap around you in a hug, the tears wept in sadness, and joy, the kiss from a lifemates lips, the lick of my hand from my pet, the I love you mom from my children, the I need you with me forever from my love. All of this fits under a word with no real accurate words to describe it, LOVE.

Happy Thanksgiving! Be thankful for not what you have in your life but whom you have surounding your life with love.