It makes me sick how sugary sweet, faux-thankful some people get this time of year. I love Thanksgiving, don't get me wrong. It's a holiday that gets too little attention -- with Christmas apparently starting in August these days. But should we need a holiday, a little turkey on the calendar to tell us we should be thankful? Now, keep your pants on as I explain --- this is going to offend some of you.
Lots of folks make lists this time of year of all the things they are thankful for. All the happy, joyous, beautiful things in their lives. I love the lists on Facebook --- "Today I am thankful for my wonderful job!" -- is that the same job you were complaining about yesterday, or is this a different one? Or, "Today I am thankful for my amazing Husband/Wife!" --- same one who didn't do XYZ right yesterday, or someone new? I'm guilty of this too folks -- no pointing fingers here. There is NOTHING wrong with being thankful this time of year. My fear and my concern is that we aren't thankful EVERY day for EVERY moment, event, person, breath in our lives. It's easy to be thankful for the cute babies and gorgeous homes. But, what about the crippling cancer that might rob you of your life --- but has brought you closer to your family and taught you to enjoy the moments you have? What about the first marriage that you are so embarrassed about? Without that -- you wouldn't be who you are today, loving your true love the way you were meant to. What about the house fire or flood that made you realize a "home" is not four walls and furniture?
I find myself getting so caught up in thinking about what "things" I have to be thankful for this time of year. I feel like I have to make them really good, so people will simultaneously think "she is so blessed and she is so humble!" Well, I AM blessed -- but some of the biggest blessings in my life have been things I promise you wouldn't find on any Facebook list this month. More than that -- I am (I am trying to be) thankful for the blessings in my life throughout the year, not just in November. It's a struggle, I'm not gonna lie. Life gets busy, the bills pile up, Jim leaves his cereal bowl on the counter AGAIN....and suddenly, I'm not thankful. Not in my heart, anyway. If someone asked me about my life, I would smile and say "oh yes! I am so blessed!!" But, I'm not always living as though I feel that way. I need to stop. I need to get over it and realize that I AM blessed, every day. Every circumstance, struggle, speed bump is an opportunity, a gift. Lofty? Absolutely. But, I've never been a girl who shys away from a challenge.
So this year, I am going to be thankful that I have the opporunity to move forward from this day striving to appreciate my life. Not just in the great moments, but in the tough ones too. I can appreciate my job, even on the days I want to stay home. I can appreciate my health, even on days when my Crohns Disease kicks me in the gut. I can appreciate my marriage, even on the days we need boxing gloves. Don't stop being especially thankful this time of year - lets all just try to remember that we are just as blessed on a Tuesday in April as we are on a Thursday in November.
