• Home
  • About
  • Our Authors
  • Children’s Books
    • Coloring Books
    • Nonfiction
    • Fiction
  • Fiction
    • Boxsets
    • Short Stories
    • Anthologies and Collections
    • By Genre
      • Fantasy
      • Historical Fiction
      • Literary Fiction
      • Mystery
      • Romance
        • Contemporary Romance
        • Historical Romance
        • Paranormal Romance
        • Romantic Suspense
        • SF Romance
        • Western Romance
      • Science Fiction
      • Suspense / Thriller
      • Women’s Fiction
      • Young Adult
  • Nonfiction
    • Author Guides
    • Healthy Living
    • Memoir
    • Poetry and Short Prose
  • Videos
    • Book Trailers
    • Author Interviews
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

Thankful Through the Years
by Mary Vine

November 29, 2022

Thanksgiving food arrayed on a wooden table including turkey, corn on the cob, pumpkin pay, and fresh apples. Center words state Be Thankful Always

The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment
and to thank God for all that He, in His goodness,
sends to us day after day.
 ~ St. Gianna

I’ve been on this earth for quite a while. I’ve lived through a lot of ups and downs and have grown to be thankful for many things.

My husband and I grew up in middle class families in Washington, we didn’t have a lot, but we had enough. Our two mothers grew up with even less, and from their childhood I’m sure they were starkly aware of what was enough to maintain a family since they both had lived through the Great Depression.

cotton plant

My mother was one of eleven children and had to help the family. I know she had picked cotton and had helped raise a brother. She’d say, God will provide, and in retrospect, I believe she probably had seen it in action a few times.

My mother-in-law was a great example of showing gratitude for what she had. When she expressed thankfulness, you could see genuineness in her face and tone of voice. She had seven siblings and four of them died young. Her own mother became a widow at fifty and had to take over the farm and family.

My husband and I were both raised in church, values that were inbred in our parents and they did their best to point us in the right direction. They knew that the ultimate thing to be thankful for was the sacrifice of Christ. No matter how hard I try, I can never be thankful enough for what He has done.

At our childhood homes, we had enough to eat, but not many leftovers. Our mothers split one chicken between a whole family of five or six people, so we rarely got the drumstick. Of course, there were side dishes included. Neither of us regularly ate candy, chips or drank soda. They were for special treats or occasions only (or if we got ahold of some change). People of the United States were generally thinner back in the sixties and didn’t frequent fast food establishments like many do now.

In my twenties I was a stay-at-home mom with two babies. I remember being on a budget and having fifty-five dollars in savings. I kept it there for months. To do this I washed the kids’ diapers instead of buying disposables. Chose fun but inexpensive presents for birthdays and Christmas. I made a menu and bought groceries for two weeks at a time, because I didn’t have a standalone freezer or the money to fill it. That’s how strict I had to be, but I’m extremely grateful I was able to be home with the kids.

My father told us that the only way he really prospered was when he bought real estate. I had not forgotten that bit of advice and in our forties my husband and I bought property; and it indeed has helped us prosper over the years.

Fried chicken

Today, I get the drumstick and sometimes the thigh piece, too. When I cook, there are lots of days I have leftovers. I can find just about anything I want at the store and can even order it online and pick it up. Correction, the store clerk loads the groceries in my car. After my chicken dinner, I have a Lindor chocolate and a couple of miniature candy bars. I have a Lindor every day as a matter of fact. I am royalty compared to what I knew when I was a child. I am thankful for those early years because I (we) learned that our fathers always provided and how our mothers used the money to successfully feed and care for us. Most important, I’m thankful we learned what enough is.

Now, we have savings that we couldn’t imagine having earlier in life. When you’ve lived a long time, you have time to build up a little money and pay off your house (if you are consistent with payments). We presently have a full standalone freezer, so we eventually got off that budget – but it took years.

I am thankful for those early years because I learned it’s rewarding to learn to be able to make ends meet, especially as a young person. I’m thankful that if I lose it all tomorrow, I can draw from my early life to help make ends meet again.

Being thankful is crucial to our happiness, no matter the measure.


Mary Vine, author headshot

Mary Vine is an author, publisher, speaker, and retired educator. She writes contemporary and historical romantic fiction, a time travel series, and inspirational children’s books. Mary and her husband can usually be found in Southwest Idaho or Northeast Oregon. You can learn more about Mary and her books at her website.

facebookShare on Facebook
FollowFollow us
PinterestSave

Blog Archives

  • Blog Search by Windtree Author
    • Shree Aier
    • Judith Ashley
    • Jamie Brazil
    • Anna Brentwood
    • Cathryn Cade
    • Ann Chaney
    • Kathy Coatney
    • Pamela Cowan
    • Paty Jager
    • Kimila Kay
    • Dari LaRoche
    • Maggie Lynch
    • Fabienne Marsh
    • Diana McCollum
    • Courtney Pierce
    • Susie Slanina
    • Mary Vine
    • Melissa Yuan-Innes

Recent Posts

Woman jumping for joy at the beach with 2023 written in the sand

Looking Forward with Hope and Plans

  January 10, 2023
Januay 2023 calendar that says: "Make It Happen and Happy New Year emblazoned in the bottom right corner

Looking Forward to 2023

  January 7, 2023
Scene of a snowy winter in an old-fashioned village with all the inside lights shining into the night

Why Christmas is my Favorite Holiday

  January 3, 2023
James Webb telescope rendering of the pillars o creation in a far away nebula

Preparing for 2023

  January 3, 2023
yellow-gold table with a coffee cap, marker and phone. On a napkin is written "a goal without a plan is just a wish."

New Year’s Day is Renewal and Rejoicing

  January 2, 2023
Four different types of Christmas trees covered in snow

Winter is My Favorite Season of the Year

  December 29, 2022
Winter holiday woman with magic in her hands

Making Winter Holidays Your Own

  December 15, 2022
An assortment of holiday pies, including pecan, pumpkin, and apple

My Favorite Winter Holiday

  December 8, 2022
  • Post Archives By Month
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021