Late But Still Thankful

Hey everyone! This is Ashley Ann Allee, Daughter of Amy Ruth Snow Allee and granddaughter of David Snow and Carolyn Sue Broadus Snow. I don't get on the internet much to look at this site, but I was brought to tears by some of your posts. The other day I was discussing family with "Granny" (Carolyn Sue Broadus Snow) and she admonished me because I do not like sharing my life with the family for fear that it might become the topic of public debate, but I like to join in on discussions the family has. I apologize for that. I am thankful that I have a family. This is going to sound like an excerpt from
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? (Classic Seuss) but there are so many places I could be right now if I didn't have this wonderful support group. One of my roommates hasn't spoken to her mother since August, but I get to talk to mine on the phone nearly every day. I had a friend in Oklahoma who got pregnant and her parents told her that she had to have an abortion or they would disown her. We've all seen those commercials about the poor starving orphans in various countries around the world. Even in our own country there are children who are abused and neglected their entire lives because they have no one to love them. There are people who spend their entire lives so terribly alone because they have no family who cares about them. Despite our opinions of each other's activities and mistakes, we still love each other, and we still embrace each other. There is no shortage of advice whether we ask for it or not, and we are not afraid to call each other on our mistakes. Last year I did not get to spend Christmas with the family, and I haven't been home for Thanksgiving in four years. This year I will be working on Christmas. It has been hard on me, because I remember holidays with everyone in our small little branch of the family tree. I remember the way we started opening presents from youngest to oldest and I always hated doing that because by the time we got to Granny and Poppy there were hardly any gifts left under the tree. It still bothers me as an adult, but I know that the greatest gift they get year after year is seeing their descendents grow and change. New members join the family through marriage and birth and others may have departed through death or divorce, but we all still love each other, and we remember fondly the time spent with those departed even as we welcome the new arrivals with open arms and open hearts, and ever since this blog was started that love and acceptance can be spread throughout the family tree. We can communicate with people we cannot see in person. I am thankful for this as well. I appreciate and love the family I belong to, and I am so glad that I am a part of it. I love you all. I hope you all had great Thanksgivings and that your Christmas and New Years celebrations are happy and safe.