THANKSgiving in France

THANKSgiving in France 

By now most of you have received Newsletters from aMour Boutique introducing you to our team.  Most of you have met Mary Peters and her baby, Madison.  Each customer receives not only the product they have bought, but a personalized thank you note from Baby Madison, Mary Peters, and Sharon McLaughlin.  

So, today we are going to introduce you to Sharon McLaughlin, aka Nana, ME! That's right, I am doing a blog, something that I started when I was Mrs. Georgia International 2018, love blogging, especially from my heart. Raised on the premise that if anything is worth having, it is worth working for, I have instilled this same principle into my children and grandchildren.  I work behind the scenes with aMour Boutique while Mary and Madison make all the magic happen :)

We are gearing up for the holiday season and my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.  I do love all the lights and pageantry that come with Christmas, but there is something extra special about gathering around the table with friends and family and sharing a meal and a recipe or two.  I love the fall leaves and cool crisp air, it is just a refreshing time of the year and is a launching pad into the busiest time of the year.  

My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is making my great-grandmother's dressing.  In the south we don't do stuffing - we do dressing.  And not just any dressing, it has to be cornbread dressing!  My great-grandmother taught me how to make her dressing years ago.  It's not written down anywhere, it is written in my mind and stamped deep in my heart.  Every year I make her dressing,  I envision her standing next to me, telling me, "a little bit more".  Oh how I miss her with all of my heart and soul.  This year Mary told me she wants to learn how to make Nannie's dressing, and of course my heart leaped right out of my chest. 

                                                 Gravy Optional

I bet you are wondering about the title of this blog - THANKSgiving in France.  Glad you asked :)  I work for Air France Industries.  Our US corporate office is in Miami, Florida.  I travel regularly to Miami and meet with my team.  We have team members from Cuba, Venezuela, and of course, France.  I think I am the only naturally born US Citizen. 

Earlier this month while visiting Miami, we had our typical team meeting.  My boss had everyone go around the table and say what they are thankful for.  We have approximately 6 interns from Paris who do not know about Thanksgiving, because this is an American holiday.  My boss asked me to share with the French interns and employees what Thanksgiving is about.

Think about that - I had the opportunity to share what Thanksgiving is about and what it means to us as a nation.  I had the most humbling pleasure of sharing, a water downed version mind you, about how our Native American Indians shared their first harvest with the pilgrims. Over time, what developed into tradition eventually became a national holiday.  A time to stop and reflect about what we are thankful for.  At times we have plenty to complain about and to be sad about.  How many of us take the time to ponder about what we DO have verses what we do not have? 

As we went around the table and everyone shared about what they were thankful for, I clearly noticed that EVERY person from another country stated they were very thankful to be here in the US and hopes that they will be able to stay.  There were two individuals with tears in their eyes as they shared about being thankful about working in the US.  

Let me tell you, you could hear a pin drop.  This was not a cheesy say what we are thankful for moment, it was a time where each team member shared from the heart.  One team member's husband just received a liver transplant from Mayo Clinic in September, after being diagnosed with a serious form of liver cancer in February.  Two team members recently had babies, and one team member was thrilled to have a job to be able to support her daughter.  

My hope is that when the interns go back to France in a year, they will take with them a part of America they never knew or really understood and share it back home and have Thanksgiving in France.

Let's remember those who serve our nation, so we can have a national holiday to be thankful. Paris Air Show 2018:

                  

I am thankful for my family, and I need to be specific on two accounts.  I am thankful for my mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer in February of this year, and I am thankful for my granddaughter, Madison.  Mary had a text book pregnancy however, delivery was met with unexpected complications.  The doctors and the nurses were amazing and so very thankful my sweet Madison is here, healthy and happy!  

                                  

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What are you thankful for this holiday season?

Baby Madison, Mary, and I would all like to wish you a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving and holiday season. 

Hugs and Blessings - Your aMour family