thankful in every way

Fall is always a special time for me - as we celebate both our Muslim and American holiday traditions this time of year. Eid-al-Aha fell on the 27th this year- and it's celebration marks the sacrifices and thankfulness we give to God for our blessings - as is also traditionally in the American culture through Thanksgiving.

And speaking of sacrifice [smile]- we also made a small one. Like standing in line at Wal-mart for 7 hours on Black Friday! But the beauty of the awkwardness was the walks my sister and I had between aisles or coffee breaks at 2am. We talked about everything - mostly about life, parenting, marriage, and the uncertainties of the future. Long uninterrupted conversations we couldn't remember having in a very long time - well... atleast since we both became moms.

And we laughed a lot. At ourselves and with strangers we met in line - from all walks of life. Their humor helped us pass the time quickly, when at 5am we finally scored a ticket to purchase a deal on a plasma screen tv for our parents. In hindsight, the time spent together was such a blessing, and for that, I am forever grateful. It brought us closer, reminding us also how lucky we are - to already be so much...

The day was relaxed and spent at home with our parents - who loved their new tv. By evening's end, we treated the kids to their Eid gifts, and I'll never forget Noah's reaction in anticipation of his gift... with his finger pointed at me, he said, "Mom. You give me cars," and then sat patiently on the fireplace hearth.



I know the kids were very thankful for their treats - but more importantly, we're all thankful for the time we are given to spend it together...