Today's diary subject was a given, but something happened to us last night that has made the purpose of this day much more profound for the Asimbafamily. One minute, we're getting ready for the big feast taking place the next day. Then the phone rings. With that phone call, getting the topping for the apple pie the right amount of 'crumbly' was suddenly insignificant. My mother in law was in the hospital, with stroke-like symptoms.
This past year has been a challenging one for my husband's side of the family. My father in law has a degenerative disease called multiple system atrophy, sometimes referred to as Shy-Dragger Syndrome. It's also referred to as Parkinson's Plus. For the past decade, my mother in law has been his primary caregiver. This year, she recognized that this responsibility exceeded her abilities, and the very difficult decision was made to have my father in law move into a nursing home. We're doing what we can to help, but we are several states away.
The stress and feelings of guilt have been massive for my mother in law, and yesterday, her body cried "Uncle!".
Today's diary was going to be an opportunity for us to talk about what we're thankful for. It still is. And I'll start off by saying that I'm eternally thankful for those moments that set your world back on its proper axis. That phone call did it for me. And of even more importance, I'm thankful that my mother in law is okay. The MRI showed no stroke - it was a severe migraine.
I'm thankful that my husband and daughter are happy and healthy. I'm thankful that my father is now six years cancer free. I'm thankful that my stepfather, who suffered a very bad stroke this spring, is healthy again, and that there seem to be no lingering effects from the stroke. I'm thankful that my mother and stepmother are healthy. I'm thankful that this weekend brings not one, but two fabulous family gatherings, the one today and the other, celebrating my step-grandmother's 80th birthday, on Sunday. I'm thankful for the ten fascinating years I've had with asimbagirlette, who just hit double digits yesterday. I'm thankful that I have the best husband anyone could ask for, because we, as a couple can take on the world. We complement each other. I'm thankful that my sister introduced me to both hiking and backpacking, and is willing to tolerate my noviceness on our outings. I'm thankful that the recent fires spared my family. I'm thankful that I can help those who were not as fortunate. (More detail here.)
I'm thankful for this community, which gives me a place to rage, and cry, and laugh, and think. We're not perfect, but no extended family ever is. The past three years would have been far less bearable without this electronic home. (Now if we could just get through primary season....)
I'm thankful for Top Comments - it's a happy place to go, and I've made some really great friends here. I'd like to say a special thanks to Gloriana, who has been absent lately. She's the one who got me started in TC. And to the rest of the TC crew, thanks to each and every one of you. I'll raise a toast at today's dinner (which will be complete by the time this diary is posted!) in your honor. No, Ambrosius, it won't be gin! :)
So, my fellow Kossacks....what are YOU thankful for today? Please share in the comments.
Without further ado, here are tonight's top comments!
Nominated by noweasels:
leevank had this thoughtful comment about the message of Jesus in Troutfishing's fabulous diary on General Petraeus and the Christian nationalist movement.
pfiore8 thought that these comments deserved mention:
A poignant comment from Chun Yang in Turkeyana... oops i mean Turkana's Thanksgiving diary
Impressionable youth? Something to be thankful for, as snackdoodle tells OPOL in his diary, Giving Thanks for Progressive Activists
I loved Robyn's poem, 4th Thursday in November in Gooooood Morning Daily Kos, It's Thanksgiving, spedwybabs's Thanksgiving diary.
kath25 brings us these:
Happy Thanksgiving!!
From kath25:
Happy Thanksgiving! To celebrate, here are some great comments that include the word "turkey."
Horsehead suggests that the Constitution is like a turkey.
snackdoodle on turkey recycling.
Martha Stewedrat checks in with a report on her Austrian Thanksgiving. (Ed. note: This comment gets an extra round of applause for the commenter's username. Heh.)
deMemedeMedia on the Prez'nit and the troops, and a fine Thanksgiving wish.
Existentialist coins a term: Schlemielpolitik.
And here's a bonus bottom comment from my uncle, from a Thanksgiving circa 1998: "You're a vegetarian? Who taught you that, the Russians?!"
From Eddie C:
mem from somerville offered a gut wrenching replyon the passage of time.
ThatSinger offered up a good laugh with Thanks to Mike Huckabee for proving that you can.
kyril offers up seven YouTube links as a reply to the statement "I want to know why our prominent artists aren't speaking out lately..."
ManfromMiddletown offered an excellent argument as to how we got here.
Carib and Ting gives an agnostic’s viewpoint of the mob known as the Christian Right.
My picks:
Eddie C made me smile with this comment - one, because I have always loved this song (it is still one of my mom's favorites, and we had to listen to it over and over and over and OVER again while growing up), and two because I like the way Eddie thinks! It's from Eddie C's most excellent diary reminding us what the nation lost 44 years ago today.
madame defarge gives us these very worthy reasons to be thankful today. Please note that chocolate has its due place of honor. She's got her priorities straight! It's from spedwybabs's GMDK diary.
cronesense thanks Turkana for his most excellent diary. I loved this comment because cronie recognizes Turkana's talent, because her sig line is just wonderful, and because it's so damned good to see her back here! (So I'm adding that to my things to be thankful for.)
teacherken speaks very eloquently to how I feel about this community in this quote (from his own Thanksgiving diary)
From the FP story by kos, DHinMI gives us even more reasons to be thankful - and optimistic for even more Repug retirements.
blueyedace2 gives us this photographic reminder of yet another reason we have to give thanks - for the men and women who serve our country in the armed forces. It's from noweasel's IGTNT diary.
Yet another reason I'm thankful: Ben in SC!!! Here is tonight's Top Mojo!
Top Mojo - excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first diary comments and C&J comments (top 30 of each plus ties):
1 They're not Christians by theyrereal - 58
2 General Petraeus Endorses Predatory Evangelist ! by Troutfishing - 56
3 Who made Clinton God? by keeplaughing - 52
4 Happy Thanksgiving OPOL by deepsouthdoug - 51
5 Please keep writing by AllisonInSeattle - 49
6 working on it now by Jared Polis - 49
7 Comment crosspost from ET by ManfromMiddletown - 48
8 Not sure if you read my post by ProgressForAmerica - 48
9 Great work. Rec'd. by rhetoricus - 46
10 definitely read by theyrereal - 46
11 Thanks to the Unknown Asshole with the Bush by rage - 46
12 Meet me on the Group W bench. :-D by One Pissed Off Liberal - 45
13 Thank you Tom Tancredo by funluvn1 - 45
14 "Black Militant," Here! We Never Get Any Love! by leonard145b - 44
15 To the Greatest American of All, Ronald Reagan, by Gooserock - 44
16 As a Christian, I'm appalled; as an American ... by leevank - 43
17 Local Press by kath25 - 42
18 Agree 100% with you by wmacdona66 - 40
19 Not just the right's by Devilstower - 39
20 Jared, the more I think about this by TrueBlueMajority - 38
21 I don't mind religion even I "found" foxhole by testvet6778 - 37
22 Happy Thanksgiving, OPOL. by possum - 37
23 I think progressives by Philoguy - 37
24 This diary really makes anyone proud to be a by Peperpatch - 36
25 thank you by alizard - 36
26 thank you to senator gordon smith by Turkana - 36
27 I'm thankful to much more, of course by mcjoan - 35
28 I always wonder if I would have had by blue jersey mom - 35
29 Happy Thanksgiving, bro. by kestrel9000 - 35
30 I'm grateful for Troutfishing diaries today. by leolabeth - 35
Top Mojo - everything included:
1 tip jar by theyrereal - 451
2 tips by thereisnospoon - 156
3 Thank an activist today! by One Pissed Off Liberal - 145
4 'I Petraeus', Christian nationalist ? by Troutfishing - 126
5 May you all have a great Turkey Day and a by testvet6778 - 120
6 Tip Jar - 22 November by Jerome a Paris - 114
7 scan the span of history, and realize by Turkana - 96
8 Tips for change by Populista - 70
9 Bless and honor them. by noweasels - 68
10 A riveting read by stevej - 63
11 They're not Christians by theyrereal - 58
12 General Petraeus Endorses Predatory Evangelist ! by Troutfishing - 56
13 Who made Clinton God? by keeplaughing - 52
14 Tip jar by Christian Dem in NC - 52
15 Happy Thanksgiving OPOL by deepsouthdoug - 51
16 Please keep writing by AllisonInSeattle - 49
17 working on it now by Jared Polis - 49
18 Comment crosspost from ET by ManfromMiddletown - 48
19 thanks to you, McJoan! by condoleaser - 48
20 Not sure if you read my post by ProgressForAmerica - 48
21 Great work. Rec'd. by rhetoricus - 46
22 definitely read by theyrereal - 46
23 Thanks to the Unknown Asshole with the Bush by rage - 46
24 Meet me on the Group W bench. :-D by One Pissed Off Liberal - 45
25 Thank you Tom Tancredo by funluvn1 - 45
26 "Black Militant," Here! We Never Get Any Love! by leonard145b - 44
27 To the Greatest American of All, Ronald Reagan, by Gooserock - 44
28 As a Christian, I'm appalled; as an American ... by leevank - 43
29 Local Press by kath25 - 42
30 Thanks to all cat commentors by Pete Rock - 41
We have so many insightful and powerful diaries written here at Daily Kos. Our diaries inform, inflame, impassion, and even entertain. We Kossacks have strong voices and an even stronger will to be the change we wish to see in this country.