khob kun kah

It seems as though I've been living in a manner of Thanksgiving Day defecit, carrying myself in a similar fashion as the unfortunately scheduled grocery store cashiers and bagboys of which, like myself, will be working on the day of American feasting extravaganza.

Thanksgiving- (my favorite holiday as I'm sure I've mentioned,) collects not only family, friends, buttery corn, mashed potatoes, fluffy stuffing, fruity dressings and decetant pies, a restful nap (or two. or..three,) but Thanksgiving Day indeed celebrates my mentally scheduled calendar date of "CHRISTMAS IS THIS MUCH CLOSER!" Thanksgiving, ah yes, how splendid a day. Good people. Good food..and, similar to a birthday, people are overly expressive about how grateful they are for God's blessings.

So, question is- is distance stronger than tradition?
Will 11,000 miles separate me from a lifetime of celebration and thanks?
Will the reality that I'm at school preparing to teach my next class at 9:15am, the Official Thanksgiving Day- Thursday, November 22 2007- rather than sitting around in cordorouy pants and a sweater munching on cheese and pre-meal treats, mean that this Thanksgiving will go uncelebrated?

No.
No.
No.

You see, my dear friends, right now in America it's your Wednesday, 9:15pm. Thanksgiving (for you) isn't for a few more hours. HOWEVER, my first proclaimation of thanks goes to the clever power of a little something I like to call.."time zones". Basically, today, all day, it will be Thanksgiving Day for me in Thailand. Tomorrow morning, it will be Thanksgiving in America- (and, I being the proud American that I am,) will insist that I continue my celebration all day Friday as well; therefore, if I've done my math correctly- I will be celebrating TWICE.

The opportunity for twice the celebration, I must add, is very convenient in that I believe over this past year, I have been blessed with twice as much (if not more,) than I ever should have been- so, having to have squeezed all those thanks into only one day would have been as futile as all the American early-bird shoppers that wake up Friday morning after their gravy-drenched feastings trying to slip into their ol' "skinny" jeans. (Guess the fifth helping of Grandma's sweet potato casserole didn't help..right?)

Reflecting over the last year seems to lead me nowhere but to my knees. God has given me family. God has given me friends. God has given me "things". "Things," that seem to make life less difficult at times- "things" for which I am thankful. Above the who's, the what's and whatever's, God has so graciously given me life. A life that He created and a life that He has given, and all he desires in return is my heart unwaivered by timezone, calendar or clock. He desires my heart because.... He sent me His.

...a love so deep that "thankful" cannot describe even once- or, twice.