My mother-in-law, Phoeba Gillespie, was a blessing to me most of my married life. She was usually smiling and had an infectious laugh, no matter how she felt. She was a blessing to Pioneer Nursing Home for many years as a dedicated nurse. She influenced one daughter, one daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters to choose that field of work for some time.

Enjoying uplifting patients, she also helped the social director with some special-day programs that involved the residents. But she didn’t stop there. When her 5 kids and families gathered for holidays, she worked to involve them all in some way to participate.

On one Thanksgiving, she wrote and shared the following beautiful poem.

IN PRAISE OF SMALL BLESSINGS November is the last walk through the autumn leaves.

They spiral in the wind and crackle underfoot.

Trees, quiet all summer, regain their voices in the autumn winds.

I feel that if I listen carefully, I will understand what they’re saying, But I’m certain it’s ‘Prepare, prepare.’ Heeding the warning, Dad heads for the woods with axe sharpened.

He starts the old John Deere with wood trailer hitched at the back, And heads toward the back of the old 40 acres.

When he returns, he stacks the wood in a neat stack against the back yard fence.

In November, the garden is bedded down for winter.

The tulip bulbs, each one containing a miracle, have already been planted.

I admired them before nestling them into the holes I’d dug, Knowing I’d never see them again.

But I think of them often, wondering what they’re doing and decide They’re sending out roots and marking off the days on their calendar Until it’s time to astonish the world.

The rakes and hoes hang on the garage walls, faded and mildewed But smiling in remembrance of summer secrets.

I’ve pulled window shades up and storm windows down.

The freezer’s full of garden vegetables, chickens, and rabbits.

The scent of woodsmoke hangs in the frosty air And the cow dog rushes outdoors to play, Once again comfortable in his fuzzy new coat.

Starlings fly in tight formation, wheeling, banking, never colliding.

They land in the big oak tree for meeting to discuss The advisability of moving South, all talking at once.

A female cardinal vanishes into the bushes of beautiful autumn shades.

Woods open and vision expands as bare trees soon reveal The sky again, its clouds, and its evening stars.

November starts the holiday season when we surround ourselves With family and friends— perhaps needing the company of others To face the approaching winter.

November is Thanksgiving, and Thanksgiving is family— The familiar and close at heart.

It’s children bringing laughter to a quiet home.

I look around the table at my family, and I see what I’m most thankful for.

I watch the light shining in their eyes, and the love shining out.

We say our thanks for bounty, health, and happiness before dinner, But late in the evening when I stand outside watching them leave, I give silent thanks for the gentle, small blessings of life.

For the song of a lonesome toad at night, the magic of moonlight, For dawn and sunset, rainbow and reflections, music and silence.

I’m thankful for sleep and the certainty of a fresh day when I wake, For the good earth which receives a seed and gives forth food, For water in all its forms: from mist and dew to streams and oceans.

I’m grateful for the warmth of day and the cool of evening.

For nature giving us summer heat without first providing us with leafy shade.

I’m thankful for the wonder of birds in flight, for butterflies, Snowflakes and icicles, warmth of smiles, and gaiety of laughter.

I remind myself that autumn doesn’t end with Thanksgiving But lingers almost until Christmas.

I find that winter seems less long and less cold when I remember this.

Yes, I thank God for all the small blessings He gives us.

Sometimes, as I reflect on them, I really believe THEY are The important blessings of life.

NOTE: Have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving. If a TV program is a must, be sure to give the family— especially the kids and/or grandkids some quality time, too. The kids grow up fast and you never know which of the older folks will be here next year. Offer to help with the dinner clean-up….at least offer your help. Many who cook it took hours to prepare it, so let them know they are appreciated! (They will probably turn down your offer, anyway!)

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