Thanksgiving Revisited

Right before Thanksgiving this year, I wrote a true happening that occurred in my nail salon. This was the episode of two women talking about how they hated Thanksgiving. It was called to my attention today that I was being critical of these women (I wasn't, I was just happy I was not like them, or thought as they did), and that just a year ago I had said I also hated holidays.
After thinking about this, yes, I know I did say that. I was referring to all holidays though, not just Thanksgiving, and my reason was because my husband was in a nursing home, and I was alone, and I missed the once festive large gatherings we had every year. Especially on Thanksgiving- my parents would always be with us and my children and my husband, and often other people as well.
I did hate that I had to go to a nursing home to have dinner with my husband, and did hate what was happening in my life. I hope and pray that by now I have accepted it all, and know it is all good.
When I said "I Hate holidays" it was because all of that was gone. I missed it and it didn't seem like fun and joyous for me anymore. I did have another friend call me about that blog, and told me to write "I love holidays" 100 times! I did it 10 times, and by that time had a change of heart, and knew being negative about anything was not a good thing, so I stopped the old negative thought immediately.

What the two women in the salon were hating was buying the groceries, cooking the dinner, and then cleaning up the mess. Those were things I NEVER hated and things I loved doing. I LOVED all the preparation for Thanksgiving (and all holidays). I think there was a misinterpretation of what I said a year ago concerning what I did not like, and what I thought about what these two women had said.
So just explaining this, in case anyone else thinks I was being critical. I definitely did not agree with what the two women said, and have not changed on that at all. When I heard them talking, what they said made me cry, because I wanted that back and I wanted my old holidays back, and they are gone. I wanted a big group and the preparations and the cooking. I was, and still am, thankful I was never like them. I actually felt sorry for them not critical of them. I loved what they said they hated.

Today I am learning to enjoy what I do have. And for what I do have, I am grateful.
I had a lovely happy Thanksgiving this year and am thankful. I also fully expect to have a wonderful Christmas.