It's the month of November already. The month known mostly for the time to be thankful. Each year I adopt the challenge to be thankful for something each day. I post these thoughts on Facebook as well, mostly as a way to torture other people. And also because I think I am hilarious. I also save each day in Evernote. I like to go back and read the past thankful thoughts. (Full confession: I also have a notebook in Evernote of Random Thoughts. I also have a lot of those.)
What I have discovered each year is that some of the things I have been thankful for change. But even some of the random things I find myself being thankful for, indoor plumbing, repeat themselves each year. Some things change......two years ago I seemed to be ever thankful for wine. Which I am still thankful for, but not quite to that extent.
Some things we are thankful for are a given. Things we should be thankful for every day of our lives. Family, health, a home, food. Sometimes I wonder if we really ever stop and think about being truly thankful for those things though. Are we ever truly grateful to have the home we do? I know we just moved and sometimes I am not thankful to be in this house. So much work to do still. Doesn't always feel like home. So big. In Midtown. I could go on and on......focusing on the negative is easy enough. Are we truly thankful for food? Sometimes I wish I had a steak instead of soup. Or Doritos instead of crackers. Health? I have been pissed off more often than not lately at my foot. How much does it suck to not be able to walk? Forgetting that is it temporary, I will walk again. Or that I am otherwise fairly healthy. I can see. I can hear. I can taste and feel. I am of sound mind. Well, we could debate that, but that a different post for a different day.....
Are we actually thankful for what we have been given? A lot of the time I am not. I want more. I want different. I want better. I want, I want, I want! Veruca Salt anyone? Just me?
I want the world,
I want the whole world.
I want to lock it all up in my pocket
It's my bar of chocolate
Give it to me now!
I want today
I want tomorrow
I want to wear 'em like braids in my hair
And I don't want to share 'em.
Yep. Then I would be labeled a bad egg and fall into the garbage pit and the Oompa Loompas would sing about me being a spoiled brat. And they would be right. A lot of the time I am a spoiled brat.
What I have discovered each year is that some of the things I have been thankful for change. But even some of the random things I find myself being thankful for, indoor plumbing, repeat themselves each year. Some things change......two years ago I seemed to be ever thankful for wine. Which I am still thankful for, but not quite to that extent.
Some things we are thankful for are a given. Things we should be thankful for every day of our lives. Family, health, a home, food. Sometimes I wonder if we really ever stop and think about being truly thankful for those things though. Are we ever truly grateful to have the home we do? I know we just moved and sometimes I am not thankful to be in this house. So much work to do still. Doesn't always feel like home. So big. In Midtown. I could go on and on......focusing on the negative is easy enough. Are we truly thankful for food? Sometimes I wish I had a steak instead of soup. Or Doritos instead of crackers. Health? I have been pissed off more often than not lately at my foot. How much does it suck to not be able to walk? Forgetting that is it temporary, I will walk again. Or that I am otherwise fairly healthy. I can see. I can hear. I can taste and feel. I am of sound mind. Well, we could debate that, but that a different post for a different day.....
Are we actually thankful for what we have been given? A lot of the time I am not. I want more. I want different. I want better. I want, I want, I want! Veruca Salt anyone? Just me?
I want the world,
I want the whole world.
I want to lock it all up in my pocket
It's my bar of chocolate
Give it to me now!
I want today
I want tomorrow
I want to wear 'em like braids in my hair
And I don't want to share 'em.
Yep. Then I would be labeled a bad egg and fall into the garbage pit and the Oompa Loompas would sing about me being a spoiled brat. And they would be right. A lot of the time I am a spoiled brat.
Sometimes life sucks. Sometimes it seems unfair. Sometimes it is unfair. But isn't life always amazing? If we stop and take a step back and chose to see it that way? Might we not then be more thankful in every day life? And if we begin to be thankful, might that not rub off on the people that are around us?
Philippians is my favorite book of the Bible. The book Paul wrote to churches, it was written as a warm letter of joy despite trials (30 Days to Understanding Your Bible). Chapter four is my favorite.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Yea.....I forget to do that often. In everything. Not just when we feel like it. Not just when things are good. Not just when we have steak for dinner. Not just when we have a good hair day. Always.
I am going to add that to my list of things to work on. Being thankful always. And on the days when I stumble or down right fall flat on my face, I will remember that I can get up and go again tomorrow. And at the very least, I can always put my hair in a pony tail.
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