A Time of Thanksgiving

The holiday season is almost upon us, which means bright and early tomorrow morning the children and I are boarding a plane to Arkansas. (Tobe is joining us later.)

Which in turn means there will likely be a long, dramatic post in the near future about my run-ins with airport personnel, security check-point fiascoes, and terribly fun it is to fly with small children alone.

Being full of holiday cheer, I am hopeful that a flight attendant does not mention having to remove either of my children from my dead body like one did last time we traveled. Because nothing ruins the holiday season like someone referring to your deceased corpse.

This week has been filled with a flurry of last-minute fall activities, school Thanksgiving feasts, picture-taking extravaganzas, and Isaac running around in an Indian headdress whose lone feather resembles more a plume rather than an authentic feather. In the midst of packing and planning for our upcoming travels, I found myself faced with the daunting task of writing a note of sympathy to a mother who had lost her adult child in an automobile accident. Amidst the constant whirlwind of activity that is a home with two babies, I was reminded of how fragile and precious life is.

As we approach this recognized time of giving thanks, I am thankful for numerous things: freedom, shelter, food, a good hair conditioner. However, I am most thankful for this small little family that makes up casa de phillips. I am thankful for the temper tantrums, the cries in the middle of the night, the insistence on wearing a t-shirt in 40 degree weather. I am thankful for sloppy kisses, sweet voices saying "Mommy play with Isaac", and a living room filled with plastic chaos. It is the presence of such things that reminds me of the presence of my little family.

That sympathy card sits on my piano waiting to be mailed out, serving as a reminder that life is unpredictable, that grief and pain reside next to joy and happiness. It is in this mixture that God calls us to offer thanksgiving and praise up to Him.

Happy Thanksgiving. Be blessed.