Why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday

It’s that time of year again. Spring and summer have passed us by like a speeding train... as they do every year. Autumn abruptly jumped into the year and now we are facing winter. (Of course those of you in the Southern Hemisphere are looking forward to summer.)

The holidays are a joyous time to celebrate love, family ties and preparing for the new year ahead. And this time the new year is 2012! Many people are eagerly anticipating a big change and nobody really knows what lies ahead. In my opinion I think we will see more of what occurred in 2011, and perhaps a couple of “surprises” thrown in.

Thanksgiving has been a theme in two of my novels. In 1999 I published Night of the November Moon, a romance/mystery about the haunted Pelton Manor in southern Michigan. This year (in fact, this month) Earth Star is releasing the fourth young adult novel in the Annette Vetter adventure series, The Legend of the Lantern, which takes place over Thanksgiving weekend in rural Jackson County Wisconsin (set in the late Sixties). Coincidentally (or not) a ghost is a matter of concern in this novel too.

In my own life Thanksgiving has had an impact. My son Scott was born a couple of days before Thanksgiving on Nov. 26, 1985, and my two stepsons’ birthdays fall on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26. (My oldest brother’s birthday is also Nov. 26.)

When it comes down to it, I feel I have a lot to be thankful for. Thanksgiving is an excellent time to reflect on our lives and express gratitude for everything we have experienced, good and bad. I’m starting my list right now with this column.

Thank You, God, For...

• My life on planet Earth at this glorious time!
• My parents, who gave me life, a loving home and guidance and security for many years.
• My children, who turned out to be pretty special people and have brought me much happiness.
• My grandson Vorian, who at 3 years old is a delight to all.
• “MyDoug,” who has become Number One in my life and brings me happiness I never thought I’d find again in this lifetime.
• The Star Beacon and the wonderful readers over the years, many of whom have become my friends if only through correspondence and e-mail.
• My Guardian Angel and spirit guides, always watching out for me and ever close by.
• The teachers (from all walks of life) who influenced me in thousands of ways.
• UFOs and ETs who influenced me from an early age and continue to live among us.
• Music and the gift to make it, for the joy and serenity it has placed in my life.
• Nature and her splendid gifts, from trees and plants to birds and all other animals who walk, crawl or fly upon the earth.
• The jobs (good and bad) I’ve held and the employers who hired me so that I could achieve balance and help my soul evolve.
• My failed marriage and the man who fathered my children and taught me to mature, to let go, and to forgive.
• My years with Ethan in which I felt unfettered to pursue my mission as a lightworker and fulfill my destiny, ending in life’s greatest challenge... having to let go of someone close to you.
• Struggling through financial insecurity in order to learn frugality, humility, but ... more importantly ... trust, knowing that all my needs are met... regardless.
• Being introduced to the “dark side” of myself and realizing the importance of becoming balanced.
• A near-death experience that tested my faith and made me appreciate the preciousness of my life.
• Many unforgettable memories to look back on and bask in the comfort they bring.
• Realization that life here on Earth is only an illusion and we are all playing this Game and the roles we choose are for our highest good.
• Challenges, because without these in our lives, we could not grow or evolve into light beings.
• People who inspire me and whose tidbits of wisdom have made a big difference in my view of the universe and how everything works, including but not limited to... Suzanne Ward and Matthew, Neale Donald Walsch, Lucille McNames (Sari), Mark Kimmel and Heidi Moller, The Moody Blues, Arda Golden Eagle Woman, Ruth Montgomery, Claude Debussy, Ludwig von Beethoven, Chief Joseph, Enya, Ryan, Marty and Scott... and Frank D. Elmore Jr.