Thankful...

She wasn't going to cry. She had declared it a no pity Thanksgiving. No tears Thanksgiving, it was her rule! After all she had a lot to be thankful for.

When her family Skyped with her from Mexico and she saw all of their smiles and sunburned noses she was thankful for them. Even though when they had planned the get-away last Thanksgiving she had been excited to join them. That was before she was laid off from her job of 15 years and went from being the most senior with all of the vacation time to the most junior who only got Thanksgiving day itself off. She was not going to cry or feel badly that they were there without her. She had told them to go, to enjoy themselves, to have fun. It's not like they wouldn't have gone anyway, but at least she felt good telling them to anyway.

When her youngest niece told her she missed her she almost lost it. But she was saved by the commotion in the background when someone splashed in the pool getting her mother's hair wet. The glee that followed "Gamma wet! Gamma wet!" erased any tears that might have come. She had wished them all a Happy Thanksgiving and turned off the camera.

She had volunteered at the shelter downtown, thinking that helping those less fortunate would make her feel better. Instead she ended up feeling a little worse when one family came through the line. Smiling and happy. The woman next to her serving potatoes had commented about how happy they were and the mother said, "We might not have much, but at least we have each other." That one had stung a little. But no pity. It was one day. One trip. One holiday. She still had her family, they were just doing something else. She just had to work.

And she really was thankful for the new job. A lot of people didn't find work right away after a lay off. She knew she was lucky. The new company was a good one and there was opportunity to move up in the organization. She wouldn't be the new guy for long. A lot of opportunity. And a paycheck instead of trying to stretch that unemployment. She was thankful. She was.

The microwave dinged and she went to get her turkey dinner. She should have eaten at the shelter. They offered, but it just seemed wrong to take a meal that someone else could use more. And besides, she had this Hungry Man Turkey with Stuffing just waiting for her at home. Yum...

She burned her thumb on the steam when she took the plastic cover off the meal.

No pity! No tears! She had so much to be thankful for!

Her family was healthy and happy. Her new job was paying the bills. Her microwave worked.

She stood at the kitchen counter and started to eat her dinner. The thought of sitting alone at the table was more depressing than standing at the counter to eat. She poked at the "cranberry apple strudel" and then decided against it. She didn't really need dessert anyway.

She tossed the remnants in the trash and wiped down her counter. Another thing to be thankful for. No big clean up needed. Nobody likes cleaning up a messy kitchen.

As she started to settle in for a night of sappy movies her doorbell rang.

She opened the door to find her neighbors there with a pie and a stack of board games.

"We know you said no to dinner, but you can't say no to pie!"

Her no tears rule shattered. So much to be thankful for.