Whereas, we normally have three-four 22lb. for Thanksgiving with up to 45 guests, this Thanksgiving we ‘feasted’ on a Costco Rotisserie chicken with our son, his two boys, and mom. It would be the first time in around twenty-five years that we didn’t hold a Thanksgiving meal for friends and family. We were thankful for His protection and provisions and grateful for His care, but there were lots of tears of sadness for the inability to be home enjoying our meal with friends and loved ones. In an act of unselfishness and thanksgiving, the small church received a trailer load of turkeys from the states and the members decided to give up their free time and bake ‘birds’ and served the meat with yellow rice for everyone in the neighborhood that day.
As the year was coming to an end, hardships were still lurking at every corner. On December 7th, I lost my job of twenty years. With only one vehicle, we now had to figure out a way for my wife to get to work and for me to go to the house to feed our pets, clean the house, and also keep an eye on the cabin. Thankfully, she was able to go with a coworker and then I’d pick her up afternoons.
Hurricane Maria as well as working conditions at the job caused my wife to develop COPD-lots of coughing and allergies to various things. This contributed to more stress on our lives. On the plus side, my mom’s power was restored December 12 at 7p.m., after 83 days (almost 3 months)! We were so excited! We had seen the light!
