Things To Be Thankful For

I woke up Thanksgiving Morning to the sound of a hard rain on my roof. I pondered the fact that it is Thanksgiving, and although I know I have much to be thankful for, I admit I am sometimes guilty of not keeping that fact top of mind.

Alone in the house, I began to focus on that. I missed my girls, I reflected on past Thanksgivings with a full house--and felt sadness that the holidays have not been the same without my girls home, without my parents, without my husband. Trying to snap out of it I marveled at the pouring rain. I looked at my dogs lying next to me, warm and dry and tried to think of so many who have no roof over their head. It's so easy to focus on those things that drag us down. Easy to think about what we don't have. what we want instead of those things that we have now and should be appreciative of.

I turned on the TV to a news story about a local church preparing Thanksgiving meals for the needy--again reminding me of those who don't have a place to go and eat and share the love of family and friends; and any twinge of sadness and focus on my "problems" seemed to fade. The next news story was on Black Friday. A reporter was on the scene of a local store where people were camped out, some since Tuesday, so they would be the first in line for the deals. The reporter asked a man who was camping with his young daughter how it was going since the weather had turned so cold and rainy. He complained that he had to get more propane for his heater because" no one wants to be out on a night like this with no heat."

Wow.

One the one hand, there are homeless people sheltering themselves from the rain, living under bridges or makeshift tents because they have nowhere to go, while this man was "camping" for 3 days so he could get a deal. It brought to mind the story of the man who was trampled to death at a Walmart last year on Black Friday. Have we lost our minds?

It was the reality check I needed Thanksgiving morning and a reminder to focus on being thankful for what I have not what I don't. To start every day with an attitude of gratitude. If you have your health, a roof over your head, a job and at least one person to love and who loves you you are blessed with more "gifts" than so many.

Happy Holidays.