The point of Thanksgiving is to remember the things we have to be grateful for. It is a time to say and give thanks & not just for the obvious.
Sometimes we remember the bad things that have happened more than the good. However, I can give thanks for these bad things like, if that crazy slow driver hadn't pulled out in front of me I may have gotten a speeding ticket. If I hadn't experienced this time of unemployment, I may not have acquired more skills that got me a more fulfilling job.
I try to focus on what I do have and not on the things I don't have. I'm thankful for having a roof over my head. I'm fortunate to live in a safe neighborhood where I can go for a walk and leave the door open. I'm so thankful to be able to see the beauty around me.
Of course I think about people around me and how much they mean to me. But also thankful for people for which I haven't met. Perhaps you read a book and you connect with the author or someone on TV you enjoy watching day after day. Somehow they made your life just a little better. I'm thankful for Lance Armstrong and his stories of cancer survival and the Tour de France. We haven't met but I'm thankful.
I can also focus on the people in my life whom made life difficult at times. And I think about the things I accomplished because of them. Some said that I would never live in Hawaii let alone train dolphins. Others said I could never qualify for the Hawaii Ironman World Triathlon. Even the negative forces in my life can be hidden blessings worth of gratitude.
I'm thankful for the places I've been, the secret beaches I have, the quiet running paths I use, the open fields and wooded trails, the blue ocean and green rain forest, my favorite hangout areas and the simple places that make me smile.
But most of all I'm thankful for life, my health, my dear family and my friends. That is gratitude at its best. I hope everyone has a wonderful day and enjoys wonderful company be at the beach or formal dining room setting.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!
McLain family dining room at Thanksgiving!
How I miss this setting and smell of the house...
2 comments:
When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of my friends in Hawai'i where I celebrated eight Thanksgivings. I am particularly thankful for the people in the US I blogged with over the best part of this year, for although I have been in another country, we still keep in touch. I am thankful for the nights spent watching at least one friend competing (live) in triathlon races - the excitement, the suspense, and sometimes not the outcome I had hoped for. I am thankful for the people I blogged with I have not met. Maybe we will meet. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.
Hope you had a great one DB!
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