The heavy rains of the day have subsided and I’m curled up by the fireplace in a rented house up on Cass Lake for the holiday. Epic sessions of Yatzee and Mexican Dominoes are in progress among the generations. Jocelyn’s entire family has gathered here from as far away as Texas to be together for Thanksgiving – and also to meet Julia. There was no way we could fit them all in our 900 square feet in Birmingham; so instead of holing up in hotels, we decided it made more sense to rent something we could all be together in.

I’m one belt hole bigger after a dinner, masterfully prepared by Deirdre, my sister-in-law. She has an uncommon passion for food, having brought many of the ingredients for the stuffing up from Ft. Worth in her luggage. If you get invited along on a restaurant crawl with her, clear your schedule!

The carbs and tryptophan are starting to take their toll, but I couldn’t let the moment go by without sharing a few of the things I’m thankful for – just in the past week:

It had been a tough week of feeding for our girl. Very often, the routine has been (1) Feed (2) Burp (3) Cough (4) Hurl. And far too often, we saw all of our care and feeding come splashing on the floor, followed closely by a frustrated howl from Julia. The pediatrician has diagnosed her with acid reflux (pretty common with kids this age) and has put her on yet another medicine to make her more comfortable.

Despite the challenges, Julia still gained four ounces and is on a fantastic growth curve. The meds continue to work as intended; and Dr. Weinhouse, the specialist overseeing her heart condition, is very pleased. We gathered in his office after the consult to pray together in thanksgiving for Julia’s progress.

We got a bulletin from a church we have never heard of in the mail. There was a note written on it from a friend of a friend that they had heard about Julia and put her on the church’s prayer list. We often hear about people praying for Julia, but the note brought into focus the kind of love and concern that folks can have for someone they have never met. By my last count, I know of people gathering to pray for Julia in the U.S., Mexico, Greece, the U.K., and India. Humbling.

We have received countless casseroles and pot pies from well wishers that have allowed us to not think that much about preparing meals over the past two months. It has laid waste to my weight loss regimen, but it has taken so much stress off of Jocelyn and I as we focus on preparing Julia for the upcoming surgery.

And as a confirmation of the richness of the community that God has blessed us with, in the time it has taken me to write this post, I’ve received three text messages from friends wishing us a happy Thanksgiving.

A wise friend of mine has suggested that the first step toward a life well lived is to take an intentional step toward gratitude – be thankful for what you have and not angry about what you do not have. Today, we all have the chance to do that (before the carnage of Black Friday) and step more fully into the stream of beauty that awaits. Sometimes in the pursuit of happiness, we just need to stop and be happy.

Thanks everyone from the Cook family!