giving thanks

thanks·giv·ing – [thangks-giv-ing] – noun

1.	the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, esp. to god.

2.	an expression of thanks, esp. to god.

3.	a public celebration in acknowledgment of divine favor or kindness.

4.	a day set apart for giving thanks to god.

today is a very different thanksgiving day for my family and me. any other year, we'd be giving thanks for the usual things--food, shelter, jobs, health, family. but this year, the last two items on that list are at the forefront of our minds, as my sister-in-law susanna lies in a hospital bed in vermont, recovering from pneumonia. it appears that the worst is past, but she is still in the icu and will probably be in the hospital close to a week. even though they have drained the infected fluid from her lungs, and even though she was able to breathe on her own all night without the aid of a breathing tube, i can not yet breath a sigh of relief.

today we give thanks that peter was wise enough to call for an ambulance. today we give thanks for doctors who discovered the pneumonia and know how to work to treat it. today we give thanks for east-coast family and friends who are rallying around our family, who feel so very far away. today we give thanks for cell phones and email, making speedy communication possible. today we give thanks to god for all of these things, and more. and yet, we still continue to pray for continued healing and full recovery.

may you not take for granted the things and the people for which and for whom you are thankful this year.