We’re sitting in the living room watching a movie, bellies full of Thanksgiving. And after a month through the wringer, this family has earned it.

We’ve watched the precipitous decline of a loved one – Jocelyn’s dad and grandfather to the rest in this picture – leading to his funeral last Saturday. All through it, we put a lot of miles in getting down to Ohio to make the most of the time we had with him.

After the mad rush of twelve hours of food prep disappearing in a twenty minute dinner (a new family record), I sit with my family around me, a little more grateful…

I’m grateful to watch a family that drew together in the face of sadness, instead of blowing up (and after nearly twenty years of pastoral ministry, I’ve seen that).

I’m grateful for Jim (Jocelyn’s dad) using his end-of-life energy to continue his pursuit of relationship and reconciliation, and make sure that his affairs were ordered so that the pragmatics were a little easier on his survivors.

I’m grateful that I could be the support to Jocelyn that she was to me as I walked the same uncertain path with my dad three years ago.

I’m grateful for the scores of well wishes you have poured upon all of us – Jocelyn especially. It has been a balm.

I’m grateful for the clarity that begins to reveal itself as one season comes to a close and another begins.

I’m grateful for rest. Just to be able to stop and enjoy the people around us.

And on a lighter note…

I’m grateful that Jocelyn’s sister, Jennifer, found coverage on her hospital job so that we could have our first holiday at home with a full house. What a gift. Just about every flat surface had someone sleeping on it last night.

I’m grateful for Julia’s amazing ability to rally her cousins (and their parents!) to a rousing game of “duck duck goose” and the gales of laughter that ensued. I should have gotten a picture of that, but I literally could not believe what I was seeing.

There’s more that will be revealed. Times of trial make a person look harder for it.

But for now, despite the sadness, this family is grateful.