November is the month of Thanksgiving in the United States, but with all that’s been going on in 2020 one might wonder what there is to be thankful for. As a global community, we are dealing with a pandemic the likes of which we haven’t seen in 100 years. We are all tired of the restrictions and want our “normal” lives back. The US is dealing with a highly charged political environment that rivals the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. With just about everything being politicized, it literally has come down to brother versus brother, not unlike the Civil War. Many people have lost friends and family members to the pandemic or to politics. Many more people have lost jobs and homes to the pandemic recession.
It’s too easy to let the negatives overwhelm us and to cave into the pressure. Sometimes, when the going gets tough, the tough get apathetic. Or aggressive. Or depressed. At times like this, it’s good to hear a little positivity. So, in light of all the bad things I listed above, here are some wonderful things I’m thankful for below:
- I am thankful for the folks on the front lines – the doctors and nurses, the law enforcement, paramedics and firefighters, the grocery store clerks and the clean-up crews. Without you, we’d be adrift. Thank you for all you do!
- I am thankful for the quarantine. It was a scary thing, but it brought into focus a number of things that were eye-opening. Like how much we humans have impacted our home, planet Earth. It helped grow the friendship between myself and my mother – we spoke on the phone nearly every day the lockdown months. It helped blossom the relationship with my husband, and we truly got to see that we have one another’s back.
- I am thankful for the quilt shop owner in League City who opened her shop to me during the quarantine so I could get nearly 300 yards of cotton that I used to make two-thousand masks for first responders in those early days when PPE was disorganized and scarce. When you’re shopping, consider Park Avenue Yarns!
- I am thankful that my husband remained employed. He works for a pharmaceutical company and lost his overtime, but we still have healthcare.
- I am thankful for my brides. In spite of the craziness, you showed hope for the future and gratitude that I opened my doors to you and greeted you with masked-and-gloved enthusiasm.
- I am thankful for my Santas and Mrs. Clauses. You are still out there in whatever way you feel safe because you know we need you.
- I am thankful for my friends who gently reminded me that I don’t suck when I start to get in my own head and get overwhelmed.
- I am thankful for my Mom. We grew a lot together this year.
- I am thankful for the seven years I got with my mother-in-law and grateful that she didn’t have to witness 2020 (see my previous blog “Remembering Jayne”).
- I am thankful for my husband. During this stressful time, he has risen to the occasion – not to become my knight in shining armor, but to be a warrior by my side.
- I am thankful for women’s suffrage. I’m still incensed that we had to fight for it, but eternally grateful to those who literally put their bodies on the line to get the 19th Amendment on the books. I exercise my right with pride as often as I am presented opportunities.
- I am thankful for all my friends from a different background than I am. I am grateful for all their lessons and am constantly amazed that with all those different perspectives that we can even communicate at all. It gives me hope – a hope that there is a life beyond fear, if we find our commonalities and appreciate the differences that bring spice to life.
Finally, I am thankful for you, dear reader. As we go into a very different holiday season this year, more than anything, I wish you serenity. May you and your family stay safe.
But enough from me; what are you thankful for?
Until next time, much love and virtual hugs,
Heather
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