Seven Days of Thanksgiving: We are the branches bound together

Giving thanks can be a complicated process. We often don’t appreciate what we have until we lose it. Loss opens our eyes to what we truly value and whom we truly depend on.

Growing up Thanksgiving was filled with noisy children, warm moments and the good scents coming from my mother’s kitchen, a superb cook. As I have grown, I have tried to emulate that image. But, I have also realized that what really matters is much more essential than a well-­‐cooked turkey. The love that surrounds a family, even when there are disagreements, is more important.

The metaphor for family relationships about the twig that is easy to break versus the branches bound together that are not easy to break is one that I have always shared with my daughters, especially when they are at odds with one another. Sticking together in all matters of adversity is sometimes the only thing we can count on.

This year my family has faced a serious illness of one we love dearly. We have tried to be there for one another even across the miles. Emotions have run high at times and prayers don’t always feel as if they have been answered, but at times we have found solace in one another. We are the branches bound together. For that I am truly grateful.

Every day for the seven days leading up to Thanksgiving, we will post a new blog for the series, Seven Days of Thanksgiving. You can also follow The Imago Center of DC on Facebook and Twitter to get our latest articles directly in your newsfeed.