"Charlie Brown, oh Charlie Brown!"......

Lucy calls out at the beginning of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. She's getting ready to do it again - hold the football for Charlie Brown to kick, only to pull it away at the last minute. Every year about this time this special runs on tv and I'm reminded of my childhood. I cannot tell you how many times my Dad pulled that same trick on me. "Come on, Beth - I SWEAR I'm not going to pull it away!" I would always get indignant, make a huge fuss, then I would wind up running to kick the ball, only to have it pulled away at the last minute. Back in those days I thought it was sheer and utter torture! How could my Dad that I trusted so much continue to harass me in this way?!?!? Now, as an adult, I realize he was teaching me an unbelievably valuable lesson - how to laugh at myself. Life is a such a journey, and I'm so thankful to be able to laugh at myself along the way. Thank you, Dad, and I love you!