My wife and I are in North Carolina visiting friends and family.  So far, so good.  We’ve been able to catch up with some great friends that we don’t see very often.  And we’re going to spend Thanksgiving with my dad’s side of the family.  It has become our yearly tradition to make the twelve our journey from northern Indiana to south central North Carolina.  It is very interesting how the two sides of the family, or the north and south for that matter, differ in their time management.

When we lived in Arizona and Missouri, anytime we’d come to Indiana to visit family it would all be planned out with dates, times, and locations.  We knew where we were going and who we were seeing.  It was usually tiring, due to the non-stop scheduling, but we were always able to see everybody we needed or wanted to.

The south, however, seems to be different.  Time moves a bit slower, and things just aren’t quite as attached to deadlines.  At times I appreciate this.  Being on vacation is nice, and I don’t really want to have a full schedule.  Rather, I’d prefer to just hang out and see people as time allows.  Obviously, there are always a couple of big plans made, but I like having a buffer of time where we can relax and slow down.

On another note, I believe that only two people on my dad’s side of the family knows that we’re vegetarian.  And I’m not about to call up my grandfather and drop that bomb on him the day before Thanksgiving!  Instead, we’ll do what we usually do at family get-togethers and eat from the abundance of side dishes and appetizers.  We aren’t the kind of vegetarians that shove our beliefs down people’s throats and make sure everybody knows.  We don’t want people to go out of their way for us.  Instead, we just let it come up in conversation when and if they notice it, and then briefly explain why we make the choices we do.  Simple and kind.

This holiday, I am reminded to be thankful for my wife who stands beside me at all times, my extended family and friends, and the ability and opportunity to do what I love.  I am thankful for love and hope that one day more people will understand this concept.

What are you thankful for?  Sometimes we forget to think about these things.  Slow down a bit and reflect.