Patricias Point

Gratitude for so much...including memories of past holidays
This week, we have so very much to be thankful for... our families and friends most especially. I give extra thanks for cherished memories of those who are no longer with us, just as I cherish the opportunity to make new memories with those who are. This week, I’m reprinting a column that appeared in 1998, in loving memory of my father, Ron AuBuchon, who would have been 80 last Friday if he were still here with us.
On behalf of all the News staff, I wish you and yours a Most Blessed Thanksgiving. Please join us in remembering members of our Armed Forces and their families in prayer this holiday.

Giving thanks for a Thanksgiving that almost wasn’t...
  Tomorrow many of us will be gathering around tables to share feasts fit for royalty, as we celebrate Thanksgiving. As you dine on turkey and all the trimmings this holiday, don’t forget the reason behind the day- giving thanks for all the blessings in your lives- especially your loved ones and friends. Let them know they are important to you, and thank them for all the joy and happiness they bring to your life. Take advantage of this opportunity to spend some time with family and enjoy it... for none of us know what tomorrow holds.
  Thanksgiving was my Dad’s favorite holiday. After he died in June, I often found myself reaching for the phone to call him. I’ll probably do the same tomorrow morning, only to realize I can’t.
  Two years ago was the last time we celebrated Thanksgiving with Dad, although we didn’t know it would be so at the time. And, it almost didn’t happen.
  Recently, as my husband and I were traveling north on Powers Blvd., my thoughts flashed back to that day. I think our gathering was actually about a week before Thanksgiving, as Dad and Mary were getting ready to move from their home in the Village Seven area of Colorado Springs, to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. They had invited us to come over for a Thanksgiving dinner with family, before they moved south.
  On a normal day, we could easily have made it to their house in 15-20 minutes. On this day, a little bit of snow was falling. But when I spoke with my Dad on the phone that morning, he said it looked OK at his house; so Ray and I ventured out into the snow. As we left Fountain and headed north, the storm worsened. By the time we made it to the intersection of Powers and Fontaine Blvds., I was wondering if we should turn back, but being in a 4-wheel drive Jeep, driven by my wonderfully capable husband, we forged forward. The next two or three miles of road were unbelievable. Minutes quickly passed as we struggled to make out where the road actually was, and Ray worked to keep us on the right path, in worse than white-out conditions. I wondered if my sister Karen and her husband Ben were somewhere in this snowy mess. Perhaps they were already at Dad’s house, or did they turn back?
  As Ray maneuvered us forward through the snowstorm, I took turns at being incredibly nervous to quietly praying to God to guide us through the storm that brought zero visibility with it. Anytime we even considered turning back there really wasn’t a place to do it, so we kept on going.
  And then, miraculously, once we passed Drennan Road, the blizzard was gone- it just vanished! The roads near Astrozon and Fountain Blvd. were just damp, as little bitty snowflakes flew about in the air, it was like something from “The Twilight Zone.” As I recall, once I relaxed a bit, I found my cell phone and called Dad to explain why we were running so late.
  That day, Dad told me Thanksgiving was his favorite holiday. He may have said it before; but this time, he said it with such great feeling- his words just seemed to stick with me. And on this, his favorite day, he gave thanks we could be with him. He was so happy to have both of his daughters and our husbands together at his house, at the same time. And to top it off, Mary’s son Danny, and a friend- (now his wife, Bev) and Mary’s grandson Ryan (and a friend) also joined us. It was a happy and joyous day. It meant a lot to all of us.
  We were thankful to have made it through the storm to Dad’s house, for the last celebration we would have at his home in Colorado Springs. Knowing Dad and Mary were moving to another state, I realized we wouldn’t see each other as often, but, at the time, I never imagined it could be our last Thanksgiving together.
  Last year, we exchanged Thanksgiving wishes by phone. This year, as I plan to spend Thanksgiving Day with my family, I’ll thank the Lord we can be together and remember those who can’t be with us because they live elsewhere. And I’ll send special thoughts and prayers to Heaven, to all my loved ones who are there, especially my Dad.
  As I’m giving thanks, I’ll be cherishing memories of Thanksgivings past, and I’ll thank God for getting us through that snowstorm two years ago, so I could spend my Dad’s favorite day with him... one last time.