by April W Gardner
No matter what part of the world they find themselves, every fourth Thursday in November, Americans everywhere stop what they’re doing and give thanks. Oh, and we stuff our faces with turkey and dressing, too.
I’ve celebrated 2 Thanksgivings in Japan, 8 in Spain, 7 in Germany, 12 in America, and 4 in England. (Oops. I just gave away my age.) Each one was special in its own way, but the four my family spent in the UK are dearest to my heart. They were difficult years, but also the most rewarding. Those years gave me some of my sweetest friends.
When you’re alone in a foreign country, friends become your lifeline. Today, I’m stopping for a moment to give special thanks to God for getting us through that time and for providing life-long friends to help along the journey. One of those is Ruth Davies.
Ruth is an amazing woman with an amazing story. She lived in Guernsey during the 5 year, WWII German occupation. The historical fiction writer in me drooled for years before gathering the courage to ask her if I could put her story into words. Gracious lady that she, she said yes. And I’m thankful for that, too!
Lizzie and the Guernsey Gang is the first of the Channel Islands Resistance series and is written for ages 9 and up. It’s based on Ruth’s own experiences as a child and pieced together with a healthy dose of my imagination. Chock full of adventure, history, and faith, Lizzie and the Guernsey Gang is a book every child should read.
This year, I’ll be in New Orleans, Louisiana for Thanksgiving, celebrating with family I haven’t seen in over two decades. Another reason to be thankful!
No matter where you are, no matter your nationality or personal beliefs, I challenge you this November 24th to pause and give thanks.
Gorging on turkey and dressing, optional.
You can visit April on the web at www.aprilwgardner.com.
2 comments:
Thank you for having me today, Sherry!
April, Without fear of appearing boastful, I love this. Your remarks are so sweet, I feel I am the one who should be pouring out my gratitude for having you in my life, both in England and - wait for it folks - the U.S. of A. You were over the top kind to have me in your home for over 3 weeks, one of the most wonderful times of my life, made so much nicer with Seth and Morgan keeping me company.
Having read Lizzie and the Guernsey gang, Book No. 1, I can't wait for Book 2 and 3 and....well who knows how many, lots of ground to cover with 5 years of adventures???? I suppose we can call them that.
I wish you lots of success with all your books, and can't thank God enough for having placed you and your family in my path.
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