Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving Day here in the United States. It is a day when people should be thankful for the blessings they have been given in their lives. I have been thinking a lot this morning about the blessings that have come into my life. These are some of the things for which I am thankful.

I have a wonderful family. I'm glad Dad lived long enough to reach his 80th birthday. I miss him terribly and wish he were still here but I'm thankful for the wonderful memories I have of him. He taught me the joy in reading. He had a deliciously warped sense of humor that I miss. He gave me encouragement when I was at my lowest point and that encouragement gave me the strength to let my talents blossom and make me the artist, poet, writer, and chef I am today. Thanks Dad.

Thanks Mom for always being there for us. I am thankful she is still here. She is very frail now but we still have her with us and for that I am thankful.

Thanks baby brother Jerry without whose inspiration no one would be reading these words today. He has given me the encouragement to do this blog and some great publicity so that others may find this. Yes I will update it more often and did I mention he was the perfect one? ;-)

Thanks to brother Eric who was more then willing to discuss Star Wars and Lord of the Rings with me. It was nice to have another sci-fi buff in the house who understood his geek sister's love for fantasy and science fiction.

I'm thankful that in my life I have been able to meet and work with some of the performers that have enriched our lives by their work. There are moments that will always make me smile and lighten up a gloomy day. Peter Davison insisted that my staff find me and take me to dinner with them and then spent much of the time talking theatre with me. The look of joy (see picture) when Danny John-Jules saw that I had Merlin (who was only five weeks old at the time) and the "kitty" as he reached for him and proceeded to take him around the convention riding on his shoulder. The late Ray Sharkey turning to my staff and asking "do I need to go rescue her?" when he saw a couple of other staff members pulling me towards Hospitality because I hadn't eaten all day. His "Come here doll" as he was leaving and the huge hug he gave me. The sweet nature of George Takei and his wonderful laugh. Thanks to all of you and all the others who gave their talent to us in their performances and their time to meet and greet their fans.

I am especially grateful to God for giving me the strength to get through one of the most terrible periods in my life when I was trapped in the marriage from hell. Without his love and guidance I would have never made it out of there alive. He allowed my talents to break through at that terrible time and through the art work he gave me the confidence in myself and the boost I needed to take charge of my life.

So on this day of thanksgiving I am thankful that the highs in my life have triumphed over the lows. I am here and alive and have family and friends that love me. I have a God that watches over me. To my family and friends thank you for being there for me and to God above I thank you for the gift of your love.