Gratitude

Mama KK came through for another huge crowd. This year's crowd numbered 29, I think. All eating and laughing and being thankful together in that little house in Centerville. How thankful I am for a mother whose arms are always open to everyone. My little brood of 6, John's family of 7, some neighbors of his, Rae and Conlon and his sister and niece, Spence and his 2 roomates and Emily. Mom shared a few great quotes at our huge dinner and here are my 3 favorites:

"The unthankful heart...discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!" --Henry Ward Beecher

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." --Thornton Wilder

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, and confusion into clarity...It turns problems into gifts, failures into successes, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
--Melodie Beattie

How many heavenly blessings I have to be thankful for. How many treasures I have to be conscious of. Like Kevin doing the dishes last night because I fell asleep singing to the girls. Like sweet girls who love each other so much that I have time to write this while they play.
Like the delicious baby sleeping on my lap. I wish I could bottle how their heads smell.

We, of course, watched Albert Finney's Scrooge and Dad was so excited to have it on BlueRay. We all sang and danced and cried to the end. I love seeing my dad cry and squeeze Mom's hand on all his favorite parts (basically every scene :) ). Scrooge's change of heart gets to mine every time --"I'm alive! I've got a chance to change and I will not be the man I was. I'll begin again. I will build my life. I will live to know that I've fulfilled my life. I'll begin today, throw away the past. And the future I build will be something that will last. I will take the time I have left to live, and I will give it all that I have left to give. I will live my days for my fellow men and I'll live in praise of that moment when I was able to begin again. I will start anew. I will make amends and I'll make quite certain that this story ends /on a note of hope/ on a strong amen/ and I'll thank the world/and remember when/I was able to begin again!"

And as long as I'm recording quotes I love, I'm just going to add a few more from Scrooge and Co.:

from Marley after Scrooge said he had been a good man of business, "Mankind should be our business. But we seldom attend to it."

about his employer as a young man, "What a marvelous man! He has the power to make us happy or unhappy, to make our work a pleasure or a burden. It has nothing to do with money!"
Even though I'm not my children's employer, I have that same power and responsibility every day.

the whole happiness song that makes me think of Kevin every time:
"They say happiness is a thing you can't see, a thing you can't touch, I disagree.
Happiness is standing beside me. I can see him, he can see me.
Happiness is whatever you want it to be.
Happiness is a high hill. Will I find it? Yes, I will.
Happiness is a tall tree. Can I climb it? Watch and see.
They say happiness is the folly of fools. Pity poor me, one of the fools.
Happiness is smiling upon me, walking my way, sharing my day.
Happiness is whatever you want it to be.
Happiness is a bright star. Are we happy? Yes we are!
Happiness is a clear sky. Give me wings and let me fly! Let me fly...
For happiness is whatever you want it to be.

from the ghost of Christmas Present, "There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try and do as much as you can in the time that you have."

and "Life is good, life is fine, 'specially mine, which is just as it should be."

We've been watching it in the car because I wanted the girls to start knowing the music and there is nothing better than hearing their little voices, "thank you very much, thank you very much, that's the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me" or "I like life, life likes me" ( "I yike yife" for Eden). We just have to steer clear of the "I hate people" line when we're in public.

Yes, life is good. "God bless us, every one."