The Laughing Wolf

Food For Thought: Thanksgiving Edition II

This began last year and I want to continue the tradition. For we too often forget all that we have, and all for which we should give thanks.

It can be easy to get lost. We are at war with an enemy that wants us dead or as slaves, and our young men and women fight both in open combat and in ways far from view. The economy is okay, but things are not what we would like. Some are not happy with the last election, there are a host of personal and professional problems and distractions, and many other things that we can let rob the joy from life. The point is, they can only do so if we let them.

Think about what you have and what is truly important in your life. Think for a bit, and it may just change your outlook. For example, I know for a fact that I have some damn good friends, a lot of good acquaintances, and have met some wonderful people who are no longer strangers. My health is better than it has been, with the shoulder problem much reduced. The problems I had with hypoglycemia seem to be gone and steps are being taken to keep it that way. There are some good things apparently coming in my life, and while they present challenges in their own right, they also have brightened things immeasurably. In short, the following remain true from last year:

• I may not have made as much money this year as I did last year, but that is a temporary thing. I have the opportunity to make as much as I want, if I will avail myself of all the opportunities that come my way and will work. For I am guaranteed the right of the pursuit of happiness, not that everything will be handed to me on a silver platter. Equality of outcome is not anywhere in the promise, only the chance to work hard to achieve that of which I dream.

• I give thanks for those that are gone. Some I knew well, some I truly knew not at all, but each of them touched my life. In touching my life, they altered it. For some, it was a ray of light, a touch of joy, a pure delight in all they did. In others, that which happened may not have been pleasurable, but it was for the good. Each of these people has caused me to stop, to think, to consider my own life and my own actions, and to take actions to better my life. For each of these has made a difference in my life, and in the lives of others, and I am grateful for it. I also want to give thanks for those who died whom I did not know personally, who died defending me and mine. Some died alone in the dark, some died in that shadow world that will never be recognized officially, and some died on the field of battle. For all of them, I give thanks, and I ask the light to shine on them and their families this day, and in the days ahead. To all who are gone, I bid you peace.

• I give thanks for those I know who are dying. I wish that you were not, that the fates would be kinder to you. Yet, you are the fortunate ones for you know what is coming and have the time to set right that which is wrong or needs fixing; you have the time to touch the lives of others for the better; you have the opportunity to set an example for others; you can help others by your suffering, by testing new treatments and breaking new ground; you have the opportunity to grow on a personal and spiritual level; and, you can say your goodbyes.

• I must admit being thankful for my health not being perfect. It never truly has been, but the aches and pains remind me that I am alive and that I am not some superbeing.

• I am thankful that I did not marry foolishly, and make my life a hell.

• I am thankful for the freedoms I have. In my life, I have been lucky enough to travel to many parts of the world, and I know for a fact that most Americans are spoiled brats who have no idea how lucky they have it. I am thankful for that too, for what does it say about us, about our country, that we have it so well and are so insulated that we are not even aware of it?

This year, I especially want to be thankful for the new places I have been, the new people I have met, and the new opportunities that have come my way. I am especially thankful for my friends. I am even thankful for Clara, though I don’t plan to tell her that. Besides, I think she knows.

It really is a wonderful life. Give thanks for it. Take some time today and list all for which you have to be thankful. We have so many blessings in our lives. Savor them. Appreciate them. Delight in them. Revel in them. Today, I give thanks for the infinity of riches in my life. Go thou, and do likewise.

LW