Thanksgiving 2020

Pratt was having a pretty severe breakout of the Corona virus during the month of November, most of our family and many from our branch tested positive and were home in quarantine, so having the usual company over for Thanksgiving was out of the question. Even the Barneses couldn't come from Wichita - especially with a newborn baby - so mom went to have Thanksgiving with them and made our numbers even fewer. But thankfully, Larry, Destini and Jenny have been so interconnected with us since they moved here at the beginning of the month that we all considered ourselves already exposed. We were able to have a relaxing, peaceful day with just our closest dear ones  - and stuffed ourselves with all the usual goodness.

Right before Thanksgiving, President Nelson released an uplifting video about the power of gratitude (his prophetic power was evident!), and issued us a challenge to flood social media with gratitude for one week. The effects of this challenge were magical. Where once there was skepticism, accusation and division, positivity reigned. The happy, joyful posts far outweighed all others - they seemed to stomp out the former trend of fault-finding and finger pointing we had been left with after a hard year and a bitter election.

I'm thankful for so much this year, but to mention one big one, I'm thankful that the Beireises were able to move closer and get settled near us. Their distance from us and the financial and family problems they had been having were something I was praying about with great concern. Now, at the end of the year, I realize that all my prayers were answered and those problems have been sorted out. Larry has a place to settle and rest. Destini is free to pursue her future (in fact, she's all enrolled in EMT school for next semester - she's going to be so great!), and Jenny is enrolled in Pratt schools where she is surrounded by LDS friends and positive influences. I'm so grateful God hears our cries and intervenes for us when we feel helpless to change our circumstances.