Thursday, November 26, 2009

Are You Thankful?

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. I know times are tough, things are not what they could be, and even the holiday itself has a checkered past for some. But how about the idea of taking a little time out to actually contemplate, and express your thanks for all the goodness that wraps it’s arms around you?

Recently I’ve detected a little wobble in the universe: I think the thankful/whiney ratio is out of balance. I’ve always believed in the power of positive thinking but I’m wondering if we are not suffering the effects of a protracted La NiƱa of negativity?

Any day that greets the dawn with billowing clouds of steam filling the house with the aroma of boiling turkey innards is a very good day indeed … if your name is Chairman Meow. It must be the chocolate factory, the Pizzeria, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Grateful Dead live in the kitchen all at once. He abandons that dismissive, disdainful, even haughty glance and is suddenly underfoot at every turn, rubbing against the legs, positively rattling the dishes with that loud V8 purr. This rare display must surely be one of the purest expressions of thanks.

So here we are on this most American of our holidays finding something about the aroma, the sounds of the day, the warmth inside contrasted with the cold rain outside making it so much easier for us to see the things we are thankful for.

For me I’m thankful for my family, for the relative security and health that I enjoy. The freedom to do as I please, and the opportunity to work in a job that offers a decent balance of financial reward and social redemption.

I could be a little more thankful if Mrs. C and I were not currently suffering the effects of ‘flu like symptoms’. It’s just a little bump along the way. Thankfully, I don’t have to torment myself with the choice of riding the rollers in the drafty, dark and boring shop, or riding the big horse out on the soppy roads of Grays Harbor County.

Are you thankful? If so, tomorrow we can have a little discussion about several opportunities to step up and give others a little something extra to be thankful for.

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