Louisiana writes about what she is most thankful for.

Saturday, November 22, 2003~

I have a lot of things to be thankful for, but here is a list of the things I am especially grateful to have this approaching Thanksgiving Day holiday...

1.) I am thankful for my husband, Bill, who has been there for me, through bad times and in good, through thick and through thin, and who is not only my HUSBAND, but my very best friend! Thank you, sweetheart; I love you more each and every day, and every year, our love continues to bloom and grow.

2.) I am thankful for our children--all 50 of them. If it were not for you guys, I don't know what I would have done; I can't imagine my life without each and every one of you! You have taught me much about what it means to be a parent, and you have taught me love, hope, compassion, and courage in a way that can't BE taught! Thank you, dear hearts, for allowing Bill and myself to be your parents, and thank you for allowing us to love and care for you. You are the sunshines of my life, and you bring me countless moments of joy; and I have God to thank for that, as HE is the One who brought you to us! Thank you for loving us, and thank you for just being my children! I also want to make mention of our own deceased children, Pierre Armand, L'Acadia Marie-Antoinette, and Aron Jakob Sandusky--they are gone now, but they are forever in our hearts, and we shall never forget them or stop loving them. Thank you, dear hearts, for the brief amount of time you had with us, and thank you for being our children. I hope that God is watching out over you, and I hope that you are being good for your Holy Father! You mind Him, and soon, we shall be reunited in Heaven! Oh, what a GLORIOUS day THAT will be! I can't WAIT to see you again!

3.) My job. I am grateful to be working in this bad economical time; and I am thankful to give people I don't even know my time and talents in helping them through a difficult period in their lives; and I am very happy to be there for them. If I can just bring them a smile, a comforting word or touch, or even my presence during their illness or injury, then my job as a nurse is worth much more than all the gold in the world! Thank you, too, to all my nurses; you make a heck of a dynamic team, and I can't imagine my job without you guys (and gals)! Thank you for putting up with my grousing and my moods, and thank you for sticking by me when times get tough or hairy! No, my job isn't exactly "glamorous", but it IS a job, and it is one I happen to enjoy! So thank you, God, for my talents and time in helping people get better!

4.) My friends. I have so many blessed friends: M'buti and Roberto Sormiento, Gloria Trainor, Juanita Johnson, Jayne Mulligan, Phoebe Princeton-Peoples, M'Kaya and Franklin Jefferson, Kendall Smith and Rachel, Genevieve Voisin...too many to count! And this ISN'T counting my church family; I have come to know all of you and love you; and if it were not for your prayers or concern, I don't know HOW I would make it through the rough spots on the road that is my life! May God richly bless each and every one of you, and may you ALL be blessed as I have been!

5.) My pastor at my church, Christ Community Assembly of God, Pastor Bruce Bilkey, and his wife, Toni..you have been an invaluable Godsend to me and my family, and you have welcomed us into your church with unconditional love, integrity, humility, and compassion. You answered all our questions, and you were there when we felt that our world was collapsing around us; and you were there to console and comfort us during our darkest hours. Thank you for reaffirming my faith in Christ Jesus, and thank you for reassuring us that He will NEVER leave us, no matter WHAT we may face! Our faith in Christ Jesus has only grown stronger, thanks to your dynamic preaching and teaching us about the Word, and it makes our church experience all the more pleaasant and enjoyable!

6.) My doctor, Dr. Benton Harlowe. Thank you for your services, not only to me, but to my husband and my children, and thank you for the skill in your hands and the knowledge in your mind; you have been instrumental in easing any fears I or my family may have had, and you have been there in bad times; and you don't know HOW reassuring it was to me just to see your presence there! Thank you, Doctor, for your concern, your talents as a surgeon and physician, and thank you for your caring. You make going to the doctor's a pleasant experience, and I have you to thank for that. So thank you FOR that. May God richly bless you and your family (and even your staff) this Thanksgiving and approaching Christmas holiday!

7.) My family: my sisters Florida, Arizona, Crystal, and Indiana, their husbands and children, and my parents, Armand and Therese Moliere, and my parents-in-law, Naomi and Samuel Sandusky. I love you all with all my heart and soul, and I don't know how I can thank you for your love, support, or your wisdom over the years! I also thank my late mother, Claudia, and my late eldest sister, Georgia, and her family, for many happy memories; I shall miss you all always, and I will always remember you. Heaven is indeed a brighter place with you there, and I shall look forward to THAT happy day when Christ comes back to Earth and we are all united!

8.) All my nieces and nephews..you know who you are; there's just too many to name; but I still love each and every one of you! Thank you for blessing me with your courage and love!

9.) My editorial team at Joy Christian Publishing, especially my critic, Eden Rodriguez, and the senior editor, Tyrone Quick, who gave me many invaluable suggestions to make my dream of writing about my family a reality, and whose creative genius helped spark my imagination while in the process of working on my book, "A Family Made Out of Miracles and Rainbows: The Sandusky Family Story--A True Story of Love and International Adoption". I couldn't have done this without your help and helpful suggestions; and I thank each and every one of you at Joy with all my heart and soul!

10.) And finally, to God Himself: if it were NOT for Him, I wouldn't have all these things to be thankful for, and I thank God for all the blessings and miracles that have been a regular part of my life!

As you can see, I have much to be thankful for. I hope that, when YOU sit down with YOUR family or loved ones and await the turkey and the trimmings, that you will take time to reflect on the blessings of YOUR life, and thank God for each and every one of them! You have MUCH to be thankful for, and you should thank God for all He has done (and will continue TO do) for you!

*~*~*~*HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!*~*~*~*

~Love, Louisiana.