"Oh My Goodness!" - my brother, mom and I heard those words over and over again on an afternoon drive through Genesee County in the fall of 1992. We had just picked up my great grandmother from her nursing home to take her to dinner at our house. She could not stop exclaiming about the beauty surrounding us on the country roads that led to our house. As a nine year old, I remember thinking, "This is what the leaves look like every year." I am still not sure if she was just overwhelmed with the beauty of the changing leaves, or if her memory loss contributed to the wonder and awe she was experiencing. Either way, that afternoon left an indelible mark on me. The reds, oranges, and yellows that light up their trees like flames fluttering in the breeze stop me in my tracks every fall and remind me of that day driving through the hills in our blue minivan.
My great-grandmother, Jean McAllister Dillon, moved to the United States from Northern Ireland on her own as a young woman, and lived a full life that lasted 93 years. That fall was the last time she experienced the stunning beauty of the leaves changing on the trees.
This Thanksgiving I think we could all benefit from taking a moment to step back from the minutiae of our lives, and taking in everything we have been blessed with. Take time to awe in wonder at your family, your friends, your surroundings, and even the beauty of nature. Oh my goodness.
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