Give Thanks Week

Not the normal post I'd make but tomorrow is thanksgiving.

You are my brother, it’s in the book
I don’t see how, considering how you look
You’ve got bumps in places I ain’t got
That’s what makes you look so hot

No matter how hard I try
I’m still nothing but a guy
But one look at you
I see beauty that is true

So how can we be kin
Because you’re not my twin
You’re not even related to me
Yet you’re my brother, how can that be

That tells me there are families out there
With people that often do more than care
These are the extended families we hear
That come into our lives and are so dear

The good book says you are your brother’s keeper. So then who takes care of your sister? Well, in this context, brother covers everybody, every gender. It implies that all on earth are one happy family. If that is the case then why does dad hit mom? Why did my brother run away? Why is my sister living in California and not talking to any of us? These are just some of the hazards within biological families. They don’t always get along. There is of course the families that do get along well or the fractured families like mine. I live with my ex wife. We may remarry but that’s down the road. We’ve covered most of these cases already.

I have another series of Internet friends to cover, but that is for Friday. Today I have one very important group that must receive special thanks. We call them extended families. Often these people are closer to us than the biological one and know us better. Should you find yourself as a member of an extended family, kneel down and pray extra hard for their continued happiness and good health. If you find the rare case of belong to two different extended families you have multiple times to be thankful. I do. We are spending the day with our extended family here. My other extended family is celebrating with peanut butter pie and all the other assorted goodies. I won’t go into what because it makes me hungry to think of it.

What is an extended family you ask? These are those people you choose to be your brother, sister, cousin or not even named, relative. They are in every respect, family except for the biological aspect. You almost always are much closer to this family than to your ‘real’ one. But if you don’t have one, now is a good time to adopt one, even if for only a day. That man you saw on the corner begging because he has no home, no food. Offer to share Thanksgiving with him. It may just be the incentive needed to propel him into changing his life. Even if it doesn’t do anything for him, it will change you forever. You’ll feel warmth in your heart to know you helped someone, a stranger.

Today is Thanksgiving. Please allow me this opportunity to extend my warmest wishes to all my readers and my most heartfelt prayers to my extended families.