Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Grateful...

It's Wednesday morning at my house...the day before Thanksgiving. All of us have turkey on our minds and are thinking about that last minute shopping trip to get what we forgot to buy yesterday!!! Time to set the table, count the napkins (because I never have enough for some reason :-)...those of you who know me and the napkin story will have a quiet chuckle with that one. The anticipation of being with family is great, and of course, the football games on television or in our own backyards. Clearly, this year will be different...I don't have a table...yet! I don't have internet so there won't be any football, and with good luck on my side, I will figure out how to read the manual and learn how to work the oven as I haven't done that yet...there is turkey, so things are good. We will be sharing the day with our new "family" here in Abu Dhabi and it will be a wonderful day...
Being in this new adventure of ours for about 3 months now, I have happily added more to my list of who and what to be grateful for...Of course my family, those of you given and those of you chosen, my home, my husband's job that enables us to have the life we have, our servicemen and women all over the world preserving and protecting what's most precious to us, the freedoms we tend to take for granted until they are threatened. The list goes on and on, but also on my mind are the things and events that presently surround me on a day to day basis. I am grateful for my security guards downstairs who smile and laugh with me ( and most likely at me for their obvious reasons and it's OK) when I walk through the door many times each day. BTW, they delivered Patchi chocolates last night as a welcome gift to us for moving into Etihad Towers. Now, who doesn't love a security guard that hand delivers chocolates!!! I am grateful for the patience of the taxi drivers when I need to go somewhere and I can't seem to communicate the correct way to get to wherever I'm going and yet they get me there. I am so appreciative of the person in Lulu's (my grocery store) the other day who answered my question before I even asked it only because they knew the look and have been there before. I am grateful for roundabouts not under construction, the iced tea at our new found Mexican restaurant, and did I mention before that the Krispie Kreme donut store makes their donuts on site and there is a "hot to go" sign and they are so good!!! And to my Terri..am beyond grateful for you, but especially today for introducing me to Susan :-).
 I am grateful for the little surprises that happen almost daily that keeps life so interesting here. It challenges me to think outside my box and experience "new" all over again. I so appreciate the opportunity to work again in the field that I love. I missed it terribly and found it again here halfway around the world. And, I am eternally grateful for my new friends here with me in Abu Dhabi. I believe there is a reason why we are here together and it is an honor to be here with you. It goes without saying that I will miss my boys and Caitlin most of all, but am content knowing they will be with their friends and new family this holiday season...another right of passage...another experience, believe it or not, to be grateful for.

From the Mauthe Family to all of you...Happy Thanksgiving! Wish me luck with the oven!!! 

No comments:

Post a Comment