30 days, day 10

Remember, this month we are all making a list of 30 things that we are thankful for. So far you should have 10 things on your list.

Today I am thankful for my parents. They don't always get the best of press in sermons, I know that, and there are reasons for that. My parents had a difficult marriage and they got stuck in a branch of the Christian faith that was pretty dogmatic and guilt ridden.

But, all of that aside, my parents loved me. They sacrificed much to give my sisters and I the kind of life that neither of them had as children. My mother grew up very poor, the youngest of six children. If a rabbit came into their yard, it was dinner. They used to dig dandy-lion greens for their vegetable at dinner. Dad came from a working family. His grandparents had been wealthy, but had lost their money. His parents worked hard to make ends meet. His dad was a contractor and worked at a lumber yard. From a young age, Dad was taught to work hard.

Out of the depression and through WW2, my parents were a part of Tom Brokaw's "greatest generation." They worked hard and provided things for us that they never had. They lived lives of self-sacrifice. They deserve to be honored. I am thankful for them. If your parents are still alive, you may want to call them today and tell them "thanks."

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.