Thursday, November 23, 2017

GIVING THANKS

     It is hard for people to say thank you. It is awkward at times. Sometimes the other person does not want to hear the thank you for it embarrasses them. Other times we do not realize that we owe a thank you to somebody. Thus it is a good thing that we have such a day as today where we can give both general and specific thank yous, but I must caution those who stand ready to greet the adulation they think is coming their way - forced thank yous mean nothing, as little and as worthless as forced apologies.
     The best thing to do? Think and review. What are you truly grateful for, that you can thank your stars every day that it has come your way? Most of us think of family, the partner, the children and those blessed grandchildren who come with unconditional love.
     We can say thanks for the friends, old and new, and reach deeper to strengthen friendships and renew those that somehow lapsed over the years. And we must recognize those in our lives who are not 'friends' but who have given much to us in terms of quality of life - the health care personnel, the service providers in the various aspects of life, and simply the person on the street who greets you with a smile and a friendly greeting, for that does add a touch to the day.
     It used to be that we could say a hearty thank you for the privilege of living in our country, but today we have some issues do we not? And yet, we are still lucky to live here in the USA even though there is much to be fixed and for my overseas and international readers, you, too, must think of your country and ask what you owe it in gratitude and what needs to be fixed for there is no perfect Eden on this planet.
     For those of us lucky and blessed enough to be able to not worry about food on the table, a roof over our head, clothes on our back, and even some comforts in life, we must remember that there are others out there who do not have theses necessities of life and most often thru no fault of their own. There are many causes of this be it from political reasons to catastrophes of nature. We must share our bounty with those who have need of it.
     This last bit is worrisome, for in times of the world such as we are presently living, sometimes we are short in what we feel we need. We are angry at the status quo and we descend into hatred and blame. We are bombarded by people who promise the world if only they get the power! And when they do get it, suddenly they are the demagogue who replaces the old one. These demagogues come in all sorts of sizes, disguises and genders and frankly, the extremes on all sides are no good.
     To me, what is most frightening is the ease at which people shift gears into that hatred, blaming others for situations that have nothing to do with them, or falling for the lies of politicians and we here in America have one such person in place. So what to be thankful for here? Well, one year down and we have survived though we have received some bad wounds. We can be thankful for a stronger resistance, a defiance. We can be grateful to those who have decided not to stand on the sidelines any longer.
     As for the elephant in the room, the ever growing scandal of sexual harassment and worse by men towards and with women- let us be thankful that at least the wounds of the victims will be assuaged somehow by talking, getting it out there and hopefully forcing people to look deeply at themselves and no, this does not matter if you are Democrat or Republican, for it affects all, though I must say that the Democrats are quicker to admit it and take responsibility while the Republicans tend to bluster and deny - a la Trump!
     So I am thankful for much in my life and even have seen the hits come with a silver lining, difficult as it might be to see at times. I am certainly grateful for the ability to run this blog and  for my loyal readers. Thank you. And thank you, dear Lord, for the blessings You have bestowed upon me and my family over the years and hope there will be many more good and bountiful years to come.
     So Happy Thanksgiving Day everyone. Enjoy!!




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