Family Gratitude by Angie Ledbetter

There's nothing quite like a close family, whether they are the group of people you are born into, or those you've become welded to by choice through the years. When I think of the gratitude I have for these people, they include a number of good friends as well as those related by blood or marriage.


Today I give thanks to those who shore me up in one way or another. Without them, life would be just existing, not living.


I am thankful for the father figures. The men at the helm of the ships who confidently navigate us through storms and rough sees. Men who volunteer their time, talent and "treasure" (financial gifts) to teach us how to be better at whatever it is we do. Men who are equitable sharers and givers by every definition.


I am thankful for all the mothers who work for years and sometimes decades doing odious chores, who swab the decks and fix delicious, nutritious meals down in the galley, even when no one notices or remembers to say thank you. Mothers who desire nothing more than to see their own little ships get a healthy launch in life. Moms who forgo solitary pleasure cruises for the sake of those they care deeply about.


I am thankful for the cousins, friends and siblings who keep me afloat when I could just as easily crash onto the shore or capsizing far out at sea. They are the barges who never cease to tow me to safety. Together, they form a joyous flotilla in my life.


I am thankful for the long line of ancestors in my family shipping line for showing us the way. And for the little ones, who just by their antics, achievement of milestones and precious sayings add buoyancy to everyday living. They are the hope of the future, the ones who may sail the furthest.