Give Thanks...For Thanksgiving

 Because of scheduling issues, our family gathered yesterday to laugh, share stories, and food. It was your typical Thanksgiving celebration. The only downside is not everyone could make it, that and the dog...

Still, it was a wonderful time.

I sometimes can't believe just how blessed I am.

Without doing any research, I still believe Thanksgiving to be an American holiday. I know other countries have adopted other American holidays and cultural events (many, America adopted from other countries to begin with...), but I think Thanksgiving remains ours.

Over the years, the gatherings have changed. As a child, it was our immediate family and sometimes others would come from out-of-state or we'd go there. Eventually, my siblings and I got married and moved away, starting our own families, our own traditions, but we'd always check to see what we were doing for Thanksgiving.

Family.

Now, years later, our own children are marrying and having children of their own. Now, they must check with their other families to see when they're gathering to see if they can make it to their celebrations. Life is a circle, or as some would say, the circle of life.

Yesterday, I spent six hours in the car. Thankfully, the weather and traveling companions were good. It was worth every minute. Helping move the biggest treadmill I've ever seen upstairs was not something I thought I'd be doing but, many hands made light work. Not only was it our Thanksgiving celebration, but also my son's birthday. I hope it was a good one.

For the past several years, I've blogged on Sundays and included the hashtag #GiveThanks. Truth be told, I could use that hashtag every time I blog...sometimes it's just hard to see all those blessings. Today, this week, this year I'm thankful for my health, my employment, the physical things we have, but most of all, my family, and since last Thanksgiving, I include my "other family" as well. 

Sometimes, I can't believe just how blessed I am.

Hyggeligt...What A Perfect Word

 We've had a crazy summer and fall. Our daughter got married in June and because of work schedules and other factors, our home has been a place to sleep, eat, converse. It's also been a storage unit because when a child gets married and begins a new life, they amass a lot of stuff. That stuff was in our house.

It's no big deal, really. We know it's temporary.

At least, we hope it's temporary.

Our house is adequate for our needs. That doesn't mean we have empty spare rooms here and there waiting to be filled with stuff. Some of that stuff sat in front of our fireplace. In the summer, it's no big deal, but since it's autumn and the temperatures are falling, we need that fireplace, if nothing else, for the ambiance. Last month the boxes were relocated to their new home, so the other night we "fired" up the fireplace, and the result was...

Hyggeligt.

There's a good chance you've heard of "hygge." It's Danish and it's trendy. I first learned the word back in January, 1985 when I prepared to spend two years of my life living in the small Scandinavian country of Denmark. Like many words in different languages, there's really no true translation of hygge in English. The closest is cozy, but that doesn't do hygge justice. Hyggeligt means full of hygge, or full of cozy. For what hygge means, it's a perfect word.

People have often asked me what hygge is exactly. The best way I can describe it is sitting in a room, a cold winter wind blasts outside. Inside, the room is warmed by friends, family sitting in comfortable furniture, hot chocolate and pastries on the coffee table, a fire in the fire place. Conversation swirls around the room, jokes, laughs, even tears. To me, this is hygge, and that room--that space--is hyggeligt.

Glad it's back.