Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Thanksgiving

To be thankful requires some distance. A hangnail can derail the most mindful existence and most of us face more hardships than that on a daily basis. To be able to ignore the worst and appreciate the best in our lives is something of a gift in itself. The oldest and best advice humans have been sharing with each other always involves some variation on how to do this:

Be in the moment. Count your blessings. Don't sweat the small stuff. Live, laugh, love, learn.

We are approaching that particular time of the year when many of us take inventory. My inventory is looking pretty good.  I have work that I enjoy doing. I have loving arms to come home to attached to a head and a heart that keep me entertained and inspired. I have a mam and a brother who are as devoted to me as I am to them. And my friends are a constant delight. King Dutch teaches me every day how optimism works. And I have a safe and happy home thanks to a very generous soul.

Thanksgiving is often the beginning of a season many people would rather skip. Family dynamics, logistics, money, travel, stress. It can be horrible. I see people I dearly love who are frankly about ready to kill themselves and everyone they know because of this. I wish I could take them to where I am today.

I want for nothing. I am enormously lucky. I love you all. Thank you. You make each day a blessing.