Gratitude & Thanksgiving

Where thankfulness is an emotion, gratitude is an attitude of appreciation under any circumstance.  The last few years have been those of ‘gratitude’.  We have so much to be thankful for but when we go through rough times, I pray our attitudes were those of appreciation.

After returning home (NY) in late March 2020, we prepared our home to sell.  We were extremely busy in 2020, selling a house, moving, renting and building a new house.  People asked us ‘why Ocala, Florida’?  You know, we didn’t look many places but really liked the farm (horse ranches) of central Florida.  In many ways, reminded us both of home.  We rented a villa for 6-months while our house was being built.  We moved into our new home on March 1, 2021.  Shortly after, Bob was having some health issues and long story, short, he was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer.  Five surgeries, 6 months of chemo, 2 hospitalizations for infections and many months of his wife protecting him from the general public, he’s doing wonderful.  All that to say this – we know now why we moved to Ocala.  God had a plan for us.  Ocala had the right doctors, the right hospitals, the right friends and everything within a 20 minute drive from our new home.  God moved us during Covid to be in the right place at the right time!

We were also attending a church in Ocala before Bob’s diagnosis.  I asked for prayer for his surgery.  Another long story short, another man from church was having surgery for cancer on the same exact day as Bob.  Shortly after, he and his wife (Bill and JoAnna) started a cancer support group and asked us to join.  Over the past year and a half, we have become very good friends with a group of 10 in this support group (shoutout to Bill, JoAnna, BJ, Rodger, Jay, Susie, Jay and Julie…love you guys).  Another reason God sent us to Ocala, we are there to help others.

We moved into a retirement community of people moving from northern states.  We have made some fabulous friends with many and I’m thankful for each one of them (shoutout to Ron, Louise, Bill, Sherry, Dale, Tari, Sandy, John, Doug, Della, Randy, Sue, Nancy, Pete, Tom, Jim, Sylvia and Chuck…love you guys). When Bob was sick, we had great support from everyone.

I thank the Lord we made it through the last few years and that Bob is feeling great.  I am very thankful for my husband and that he’s up to continuing our ‘wild hair journey’.  I love him very much. I’m grateful for the past two years. We would not be the people we are today without the story of the past few years.  We’ve met friends of a lifetime and know that God has had a plan for us all along.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.