a giving of thanks

this is the rare part of my day,

when the day here is the same day back at home.

and of all days, it's thanksgiving. that's weird.

it doesn't seem quite right, if it was thanksgiving, i would be home wearing warm socks and my favorite winter coat. sipping hot coffee and watching my breath billow clouds into the air.

but instead i am wearing flip flops, it feels like summer on my face and arms and i'm biking to the market to buy sticky rice.

there are no turkeys.

thanksgiving has never been my favorite holiday per say. however, when i think of home my mouth waters for my mom's green bean casserole and a slice of the dark meat, a chance to see the dining room in it's rarest form [clean] and my favorite, sitting around the table with my family and telling each other stories that have us in our seats till our bellies are full and my sisters and i debate on who gets what job in cleaning up.

the few americans that work at agape will be putting on a little thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night. there will be chicken instead of turkey and the pumpkin pie may be a bit different [i'm making it...it will be an adventure]. i will sit on a mat on the floor and we will pass each dish around and scoop a little bit of everything on our plates. there will be different kinds of stories to tell and hear and i'll probably laugh at the way one of the australians says something.

it's not quite home.

but i'm thankful nonetheless. i'm thankful i have a wonderful family at home who will all be together today. i'm thankful i have so many amazing and wonderful people to think about and miss. i am thankful to be in thailand and the purpose God has for me here. i am thankful for the relationships i have started to build here and my love that has grown for the children i work with.

thanks.