TODAY STARTED JUST LIKE ANY OTHER DAY... WENT TO WORK ..CAME HOME TO A QUITE HOUSE... THE POST MAN BROUGHT ME A PACKAGE ..COULDN'T IMAMGINE WHO ?? WHERE ??? FROM??  SO I SAT DOWN AND OPENED IT.. IT WAS FROM MY AUNT AND UNCLE..IN PA..  WITH A LETTER INSIDE SAYING... THAT THEY WERE SENDING THINGS THEY FOUND IN A CHEST TO ME FROM MY DAD..IT WAS IN MY GRANDMOTHERS BASEMENT..I NEVER KNEW THERE WAS A CHEST JUST FOR ME... INSIDE THERE IS ALOT OF THINGS TO ME .. SO ALITTLE AT A TIME THEY WILL SENT IT ALLL.. ANYWAY..AS I OPENED THE PACKAGE THEY SENT .. I SAW MY DADS PICTURES OF WHEN HE WAS IN THE SERVICE AND HIS METALS HE HAD GOTTEN .. HE WAS SO YOUNG I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.. I STARTED TO CRY AS THE MEMORIES FLOOD BACK TO WHEN I WAS A CHILD ... AT HOW MUCH LOVE HE HAD GIVEN ME AND ALWAYS THERE FOR ME ..GIVING ADVICE EVEN IF I DIDN'T LISTEN TO HIM.. HE STILL STOOD AT MT SIDE AND LET ME MAKE MY OWN MISTAKES..AND HIS ARMS WERETHERE TO CATCH ME IF I SHOULD FALL...AND MANY TIMES I DID FALL BUT I HAD TO LEARN LIFES LESSONS..I LOOKED AT HIS PICTURE AS THE TEARS RAN DOWN MY CHEEKS.. TOUCHING IT JUST TO SEE HIM ..I GOT TO HOLD IN MY HANDS THE METALS HE WORE ON HIS UNIFORM ..KNOWING THEY WERE APART OF HIM AS HE SERVED OUR COUNTRY.....I SAW MAPS MY GRANDMA HAD SAVED WHILE MY DAD WAS ON TOUR..SHE TRACKED EACH PLACE HE WENT TO ON THE MAPS IN DARK PENCIL.. I GOT TO TAKE MY FINGER AND TRACE THE SAME PATH MY DAD HAD TAKEN .. AS MY GRANDMOTHER WATCHED HER SON GROW AND SERVING OUR COUNTRY IN 1952............SO LONG AGO ..............................................THEN.........I.REMEMBERED ALL THE THANKSGIVINGS WE SHARED.. THE THINGS HE TOLD ME..ALWAYS BE LOVING , HONEST KIND,,,AND MOST OF ALL..... ALWAYS BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE.........I ALWAYS REMEMBERED THOSE WORDS AND TAUGHT MY SONS THAT SAME LESSON MY DAD HAD TAUGHT ME...  OH SO MANY YEARS AGO.....IM VERY THANKFUL FOR THE MANY MANY BLESSINGS IN MY LIFE FOR THERE WERE MANY...MY SONS.,MY HUBBY,GRANDSON...MY FRIENDS. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH OR HOW LITTLE YOU HAVE ITS WHATS IN YOUR HEART.. IT WILL ALWAYS OUTSHINE EVERYTHING....ITS JUST ONE OF GODS LITTLE BLESSINGS HES TAUGHT US ALL GROWING UP ........REMEMBER JUST A SMILE OR HELLO WILL ALWAYS BRIGHTEN SOMEONES DAY..................ONE LAST THOUGHT IM THANKFUL FOR BEING ABLE TO FEEL THE WORLD... AND ...TO KNELL IN PRAYER AND GIVE THANKS FOR ALL OUR BLESSINGS IN OUR LIVES NO MATTER HOW BIG OR HOW SMALLTHEY ARE.... HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EACH OF YOU MAY YOUR HEART BE FILLED WITH LOVE AND LASTING MEMORIES... GOD BLESS ......... DIANE