Before I start with the story, I want to wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. I want to tell my family how thankful I am for them and everything they do for me. I am so proud of our two sons and granddaughters, and I am thankful for the strong family bond we all have.
I have so many things to be thankful for. But this year I want to tell everyone who is reading this story right now how thankful I am for you. When I first started writing these stories it was a way to keep my Angel Shannon’s memory alive. It has turned into something so much bigger than that. The first thing I found is that it was very good therapy to write about the memories we built together as a family. Although most of them I had to stop while I was writing to dry my tears away. I remember telling people “If it makes me laugh or cry, it’s a good story. If it makes me do both, it’s a great story.”
As I think about how many people read these stories, I need to tell you all how much that means to me. In the beginning, as the number of readers began to grow, I was happy that people were able to know how special my Angel Shannon is. But now every story I write has become so much more meaningful to me.
As I go through this chapter of my life without her, there are days when I feel so alone. There are times when I don’t understand why I had to lose her, and honestly feel like just giving up. But then I start to think about the topic of the story I am going to write. As I think about what I am going to say in the story, my outlook changes. I want you to know how much your support by reading these stories helps me every week. That knowledge helps me focus on moving forward. It helps me appreciate all the positive things I have in my life. Some of you have been here from the beginning, and some are fairly new. But either way, the thought of you reading these stories keeps her memory alive, and helps me work on becoming the kind of person I want to be. You are all an inspiration to me. That is why on this Thanksgiving I wanted all of you to know, I am thankful for you!
I wish all of you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving and wonderful holiday season.
To my Angel Shannon, every day with our memories and our family is Thanksgiving. I will ALWAYS LOVE AND MISS YOU!