for these i am thankful {2019}

hello, people. 

It's Thanksgiving day today, and I'm having  hard time being thankful. Every year my mom's family gets together at my grandpa's house for Thanksgiving dinner, and this year, I can't go. and this may very well be the last Thanksgiving in that wonderful house. (the house that this poem was written about)
Right now LaKaysha and I are alone in this empty house, probably feeling sorry for ourselves. I know I am. We may have been exposed to the whooping cough, and just in case we do carry the virus, we have decided to stay away from family for a couple weeks, to keep the baby's safe. I haven't seen Kate in over a week, and I have five more days to go before I can see her again.
I also have a new cousin, Matthew, and I still haven't met him. I seen a picture of him the other day,  though. He looks like he's a cutie.
One more Sunday of staying home, and then I can go to church again. By that time it will have been a month since I went last.
As if staying away from the baby's wasn't bad enough, my marine cousin flew in last night. He didn't tell people he was coming till last night, and I was only told because my brother told him I wouldn't be at Thanksgiving. (I'm writing this earlier in the day, but will be posting this once the secret that he's here is out)
This sucks. If you've been following me a while (or know me in real life), you know how I feel about my cousins. And this cousin is one of the boys who's my age. He was partly my playmate growing up. And I miss him now that he's gone off and joined the marines. I was just missing him and wondering when I'd ever see him again, and now this. He comes for Thanksgiving and I can't be there.

I wasn't going to write this post, because of how hard it's been to be thankful this year. But then I decided that was exactly why I needed to write this.

So. here's my rather small list of things that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving:

- I am thankful that Felicity gets to spend Thanksgiving with the fam this year.

- I am thankful that my cousin got to fly up here to see his family.

- I am thankful that everyone is healthy.

- I am thankful that Kate is here safe and sound.

- I am thankful that I have a family to miss today and always.

- I am thankful that God is still God and He always will be.

Happy Thanksgiving, folks. I hope your day was filled with family, laughter, and way too much food.