I’m thankful for a family who loves and supports me every day. This Thanksgiving, I’m especially thankful for a new addition to our family – my niece, Haley. (Sure, she’s stolen my former closet, but at least she isn’t old enough to hog the pumpkin pie.)
Many of us will celebrate Thanksgiving without a member (or members) of our family. Some are off serving our country abroad, some live so far away that traveling isn’t possible, some are not on good terms, and some of our family members are no longer with us. My hope is that whatever your situation is, you can be thankful for your family. If they are in the military, I hope that you are thankful for their bravery and contribution. If they live far away, I hope that you are thankful for a phone call (or Skype date!) and that they are happy/healthy. If you are not on good terms, I hope that you are thankful for the memories when you were. If they have passed away, I hope that you are thankful for the life they lived – and that God gave you the gift of knowing and loving them.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
thetightropeblog.com 
I'm abroad again this year — the second Thanksgiving in a row for me that I'm missing, away from my wife and daughter. I'm 8,000 miles away in Cape Town, South Africa.And no matter how much you try to mentally prepare for this, it happens anyway, that you get depressed as hell. Thanks for the kind wishes, Mandi. Do me a favor, will ya? Give your dad and your mom and even your stepdad — who used to be MY stepdad — an extra big hug for me on Thursday. I only wish I could give Arthur and Eva Jane big hugs tomorrow.Bst wishes to you, Mandi. You're the best.
Charles,Hugs given to them all…and, I even showed my dad what you looked like "present day" on Facebook. He couldn't believe you have a daughter who isn't in diapers – I guess age sneaks up on all of us!I hope you had a nice day in Cape Town. I know your family misses you as much as you miss them. Take care!-Mandi