Due to health concerns and travel challenges, rather than following the tradition of holding a large dinner for friends and family, I decided to have a quiet Thanksgiving Day meal with my youngest daughter.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. A time to give thanks for the fantastic family and friends and life I am privileged to have. Our tradition is to start cooking the night before straight through to Thanksgiving afternoon. We all pile in the kitchen and cook our favorite foods, laughing, singing, and having fun with the parade playing in the background.

With my family not quite ready for a large gathering, I had to find another way to give back. IT SEEMED LIKE THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY when I was offered the chance to be a balloon handler in the parade (the same parade that I watched every year and had enjoyed since I was a young child). I had no relevant experience or real idea of what it would entail, but I was all in.

To my surprise, it turned out that many of the lessons and blessings I was used to receiving at home with family and friends provided the basis for all I needed to know.

1. Have a servant's heart

2. Use kind words in a kind voice

3. Never stop in an intersection; that is where the wind is the strongest.

4. Work with your team; don't try to hold the balloon all by yourself.

5. Keep your eyes on the pilot. He will help you steer clear of obstacles.

6. At clean-up time, everyone pitches in

7. Have fun

I was grateful to see the many happy, cheering faces in the crowd. I missed my big family meal tradition, but I was glad to be reminded that love is always close by when you keep your heart open.