Giving Thanks

It’s a rough season of life for most of us. Whether it’s due to personal struggles, or the pandemic, or health, aging, injustice in multiple forms, not getting along with family members or friends, there’s a lot.

The righteous desire to stand up for what’s right can actually create quite a bit of stress, because there is always another battle to be fought, always something else to care about. Sometimes the battle feels far away, and sometimes the battle is right at home. Sometimes we’re fighting for people we don’t even know, and sometimes its ourselves, our brothers, and our sisters.

It’s a lot.

I hope that no matter what the burdens are that you’re carrying, that at some point in the near future, you can have a moment of rest.

Whether that is a “traditional Hallmark Thanksgiving experience,” or lounging around eating leftovers, or simply enjoying a cup of tea by yourself, while the world outside carries on, I hope you can find a moment to come up for air.

Stop running.

Take a moment to breathe.

When I think about what I’m thankful for, I think about Mr. Rogers. There is an episode where he says to “look for the helpers”- when you’re scared, and you see tragedies, to look for the people working to fix it- the doctors, the police officers, the fire fighters.

There are so many tragedies right now. Our empathy buckets have been dumped out.

I’ve personally been facing one of the worst struggles I’ve ever faced with my allergy to latex. Among other things, I’ve had several reactions recently to books (latex is used in the binding of books, and sometimes also in the ink). We might have to put away all of our books. I hope that we won’t, and I’ll find a way to cope. I love books in a way that fits into this hierarchy of loves- God, people, pets, then books. They are on the list of what occupies my heart. Since my allergy is in a flare right now, it’s not safe for me to touch books.

And then I think of the helpers. My family, my allergist, and people who have uploaded books for e-reading that I can access via my Kindle.

When I think of the national tragedies we’re facing, I think about members of Congress, staying up late into the night, trying to get legislation passed that will help people. I think about doctors and nurses who are putting their lives at risk in order to try to save others’ lives in this pandemic- even trying to save the lives of people who denied the pandemic was real. I see news reporters putting their lives on the line to tell accurate stories, motivated by love.

I see mothers and fathers trying to just keep on going. Students trying to just keep on going. Teachers trying to just keep. on. going.

Keep on going. Every time your heart turns to tragedies, think of all the good that is being done, the awareness that is being raised. I’m proud and excited to be living in a time when the lives of black Americans are being cherished and respected in long overdue ways by society at large, when victims of assault are being listened to, and believed, more than happened in the past.

I’m excited about progress in science and medicine. I read the other day about a possible vaccine that might help treat Alzheimer’s.

I’m excited to see people caring about the environment more than perhaps ever before.

I’m excited to be alive at a time that, due to the trauma that misinformation has wrought on our world, we will be making things better. There are going to be new safeguards placed on news and social media- there have to be. There is going to be a reckoning with reality. I know that people are going to look back on these times someday, and say, “See? Look at how bad things got when the Internet became the only window people looked through, and it was easily manipulated.”

There’s going to be a reckoning. People are working on it now.

If this is a hard week for you, because of everything, and possibly everyone…. you’ve lost, here is a virtual hug. *hug*

And if you’re gonna see people you disagree with, I’m praying for peace.

Thank you for being you, and for showing up. I’m thankful for you.

Happy Thanksgiving.

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