Moms Strays

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I seem to be getting more and more sentimental. Thoughts of wishing I could have all my little ducklings under one roof. I know I should be thankful to have 6 out 7 with me but still, it just isn't the same without them all. Missing my sweet Mama bossing me around her kitchen and then complaining about how she did all the work and that she wasn't going to do it again only to do it time and time again for many more years. Childhood Thanksgivings at Grandpa Graves house, climbing on haystacks in the barn with my cousins and realizing that my brothers and I weren't the only animals in the family. I can't help but wonder what it is my own children are going to think of and if their memories will bring a smile to their face as mine have done for me. What, if anything, have I taught them or have shown them of being thankful not only at this time of the year but throughout the entire year.
One of my fondest memories at Thanksgiving is of my Mother and her open and giving heart. She never failed to not only prepare an amazing dinner but also had this unique ability to find & invite someone that didn't have anywhere to go at Thanksgiving and make them feel as if they were one of her own. We affectionately referred to the extra chair at the table as the seat for Mom's Stray.
Mom's strays ranged from my brother's roommate that couldn't make it home for the holidays to a young couple from church whose family couldn't make into town to see them. We once had a young man that was a complete stranger to us all but Mom had heard that he & his parents were having difficulties and was asked to leave the home. The idea of that young man not having a home cooked meal at Thanksgiving was more than Mom could bare. Of course though, being the woman she was she called this boys parents to clear it with them. She never wanted to rock the boat. We had extended family members that while not related by blood were family as far as my Mother was concerned. Mom, in her quiet way, never missed an opportunity to reach out to others and give them a sense of family. The amazing thing is, after Thanksgiving and for many years down the road, Mom would continue to hear from her special invites and they often thanked her for the day she had made them feel apart of her family.
So as I sit and get misty and emotional about Thanksgiving & of what I feel I am missing out on, I have to say I have so much more to be Thankful for. I have a lifetime of wonderful memories of my Mother and of her example of giving, graciousness and love that she not only gave my family and I but also to her special strays throughout the years. God blessed her with the gift of giving and it is during this time that I am thankful that I was a witness to her faithfulness to her Lord and to hear family.