Children's selflessness was holiday gift

I spent Thanksgiving this year without my children. As I reminisced about what I was thankful for, I thought of my three girls and how they changed my life but not for what you might be thinking. Let me explain.

About two weeks ago, my children informed me and my husband they were going to spend their holiday break with their grandma who has been ill lately fighting liver cancer her third time fighting cancer.

The trip wouldn't be easy. They would leave Tuesday, drive two days to Florida. spend Thursday celebrating Thanksgiving. (They helped their aunt prepare the feast, which required two separate meals as two of my children are vegetarians and cleaned up the dishes all on their own. Their aunt was quite happy with that surprise!) On Friday, they would decorate Grandma's place for Christmas, and on Saturday head for home on another two-day journey.

I can't help but be thankful for my wonderful children. They are 19, 23 and 25 years old. Many of their friends their ages spend time on break having fun with old friends, traveling to wonderful vacation spots or just chilling out at home. My girls crammed in their Monday and Tuesday classes and left right from school. All of them are in college, so they packed their laptops and took turns completing class work in the car and driving the long 23-hour drive, stopping only for gas. Although I deeply missed having my children for Thanksgiving dinner, I know they served a better purpose visiting their grandma and each secretly hoping this wouldn't be her last.

So my “thank you” goes to my children, for blessing me with their unselfish and unconditional love for family.

Laurie Behrendt

Antioch