What Being Thankful Means..

I am thankful.

I am thankful when the pain feels unbearable. I am thankful that I got to have my Dad for as long as I did. I am thankful when I feel the pain. It reminds me of everything I had. The time I had. Lessons learned. Memories made. And, the love my Dad shared with all of us. It reminds me that I had my Dad, if only for a short while. Even when I wish I had so much more time.

The pain reminds me that I did have my Dad. I would feel every bit of the pain again, even if it meant I would only have had him in my life for a minute, an hour. Children are born and never know their parents. I knew mine. I was blessed to have both my parents for 20 years.

I know that the pain is also a blessing. The blessing serves as a reminder of the wonderful moments we had with him. How much love exists in one lifetime. What a life can mean.

I frequently reflect on the fact that the time was not long enough. It could never have been long enough.