Thankfulness

This time of year always has me going down memory lane.  This was my mom's favorite holiday.  Thanksgiving.  A time for family.  A time for forgiveness.  A time for thankfulness.  I always catch myself mulling this over throughout the month of November. 

Forgiveness.  Wow, that is a hard one, even though when we forgive we are actually doing so more for ourselves than for the one we forgive, we like to hang on to our anger, our hurt feelings, the placing fault, the excuses.  All of those many, many reasons why you should not forgive.  To be honest, I forgive fairly easy but that doesn't mean I haven't learned, I haven't walked away, I haven't closed that door.  Sometimes you just have to close that door and put a lock on it.  Sometimes that's the best thing you can do for your own sanity.  It's not because you hate that person or that you haven't forgiven them but you have learned that your relationship with them is toxic to you and you need to put distance between you. 

Thankfulness.  I am thankful for so many people that have touched my life as well as so many opportunities that have come across my path.  The last 6 months I have been dealing with some eye issues.  I found out I had cataracts.  So in the last few months I've had two surgeries to take care of that.  I'm thankful for modern medicine that can give us back our sight. It's terrifying to think of losing that sight and not being blessed with the beauty this world has to offer us.  I look through the world through a camera lens a lot and it's been a real struggle this year and I had no idea why.  I'm looking so forward to the next year and being able to use my new eyes to see with.  I'm thankful for my family, my husband who has been my best friend for over 43 years, my two wonderful children who have become the most amazing adults and my most awesome grandson, my extended family, cousins by the plenty that I love with all my heart and nieces, old and new.  A brother I would lay down and die for.  He holds such a huge part of my heart.  I'm thankful for such wonderful neighbors and our neighborhood.  I'm thankful that Gary has always been able to support us well, we've always had a good home, food on the table and bills paid, we've always been comfortable.  I'm thankful we live in a country where we're free to voice our opinion about the government, even when we disagree with those in office and know we can live through it.  I'm thankful that we can worship how we choose or do not choose.  I'm thankful that as a woman I have the freedom to be as independent as I choose to be, as outspoken as I choose to be without worry of punishment or imprisonment.  There are so many things to be thankful for, so many.  Make your own list.  Dig deep and get thoughtful. 

November is a time for thoughtfulness.  I time for clean-up whether it's the leaves in your yard or the mess in your life or mind.  It's a time to refresh and begin anew.  Let's all start thankful.