Thanksgiving: Finding Gratitude in Challenging Times

[pampered1224]

Wanted to share as I know many of you are in the same boat. It seems to be sinking at a rate that none of us ever thought could happen. But it is a better time than ever to be thankful. I do speak politics but not in the sense of either party being better than the other. In fact, I am at a point where I truly am beginning to believe that all federal and state capitals and buildings should have 100 foot walls built around them and water added. Shaken boldly, not stirred.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Take it from one who has beaten the Grim Reaper twice - every day is Christmas. I empathize with you, believe me, I have my moments where it's tough to remember what I'm thankful for. At least, I'm still here to complain about it all. And so are you.Happy Thanksgiving, my friend.

 

[jendill]

I received this in an email today and it was just what I needed to hear! We definitely have a lot to be thankful for even if we can't always see it!I AM THANKFUL: FOR THE WIFE
WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT,
BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME,
AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.FOR THE HUSBAND
WHO IS ON THE SOFA
BEING A COUCH POTATO,
BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME
AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS. FOR THE TEENAGER
WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES
BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME, NOT ON THE STREETS. FOR THE TAXES I PAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM EMPLOYED .FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS. FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING,
WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING,
AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME .FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING
I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE IT MEANS WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH. FOR THE PARKING SPOT
I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING
AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION . FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM WARM. FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH WHO SINGS OFF KEYBECAUSE IT MEANS
I CAN HEAR.FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR. FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES AT THE END OF THE DAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE. AND FINALLY, FOR TOO MANY E-MAILS
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

 

[pampered1224]

True enough KG!

 

[pampchefrhondab]

Not sure if you are a religious person, but whenever I'm feeling down I think of a quote from Mother Teresa, "If you have nothing left but God, you have more than enough to start over again.I recommend you volunteer at a homeless shelter or someplace they serve free meals for Thanksgiving. It can really change your perpective. Watch for signs from God too. The other day I was driving to work in my 17 year old car. I saw a really nice newer car thinking how nice it would be to drive it instead. Moments later I saw a man riding his bike to work. I know it wasn't a pleasure ride because it was cold and raining and he looked very unhappy. It made my situation look good.I know how it is to lose a job. I lost my job of 15 years over 10 years ago. I now work 3 part time jobs now and only make 1/3 what I did then. With prices rising you know what that does for my lifestyle - thus the reason I drive an old car.I hope things will soon improve for you.

 

[pampered1224]

Rhonda - that was the point of the writing. The situation has not changed much except to get worse but the attitude has. I have a lot more going for me than I realized. We all seem to loose that inner perspective when everything around us is going crazy. I have my strength, courage, sense of change, hope, dreams and can take action. I am grateful for all of that. Yes, I do have my religious side but even that wanes at times. I just needed to put this out there so that others would look inward for that hope. Like I said, it is there, you just have to look a little harder to find it and all the good stuff that can come from it. All those pieces, change, hope, dreams, action and results are like kindling wood. Separately they can not do very much. Together they can make that fire we all need to survive.

 

[pampchefrhondab]

Rhonda - that was the point of the writing. The situation has not changed much except to get worse but the attitude has. I have a lot more going for me than I realized. We all seem to loose that inner perspective when everything around us is going crazy. I have my strength, courage, sense of change, hope, dreams and can take action. I am grateful for all of that. Yes, I do have my religious side but even that wanes at times. I just needed to put this out there so that others would look inward for that hope. Like I said, it is there, you just have to look a little harder to find it and all the good stuff that can come from it. All those pieces, change, hope, dreams, action and results are like kindling wood. Separately they can not do very much. Together they can make that fire we all need to survive.

You are so right. Sometimes we don't know our own strength until we have to have it. Faith waning is not unusual. Even Mother Teresa had het doubts. They (religious scholars) say this proves even further she is a saint because she overcame them.

I know what you mean about nothing changing and even getting worse. I fear for the future my children will have - they are college age. They are going to start off with so much debt since I can't afford to pay for their schooling.

I hope things do improve for you and for our Nation. History does not show that will happen though. We were talking at work the other day though about how the poor (below poverty level) in this country still live much better then most of the world. Look up the statistics on the Internet sometime. About 70% have more then one tv and cable. That's more then I had growing up. We always want more each generation though. I remember reading an article in Guideposts one time about an African tribe a church sponsored to buy grass roofs for their houses. The pastor went to visit to see them and asked the tribe leader if the people were happy to gave a roof over their head. The tribe leader shook his head and said, "Now they are talking about wanting tile roofs.". Very interesting.

God Bless you this Thanksgiving and thank you for sharing your story.

 

[ChefZee]

I'm really proud of my mom. She JUST lost her job: she's an accountant and for 10 years she's struggled to maintain one Anyways, she was able to be thankful for it. Her friend, as a gift, paid for a ticket for her to see us. Christmas was too expensive so I wasn't going to see her until next year. She lost her job and was thankful she now has the time to take off. She's with my family for Thanksgiving and my daughter's birthday. Have you ever seen or read Pollyanna? She played the Glad Game, and it can be kind of fun to find something to be glad about in situations like that. I'm glad you were able to find something to be thankful for. I know it's really scary in our society today, but it's important to keep our faith and Trust in the Lord!

 

[SwansboroPC]

This is a very powerful thread, I especially liked Jendill's post. I am a new consultant, and I have no future parties booked, but I am not worried, it will happen. I am sitting on my couch with DH asleep on my left and the dogs on my right, I am thankful to be alive, healthy, have a home and food to eat. Ten years ago I worked at one of the primary trauma centers for 9/11. Yes, times are scary now, but that will remain one of the darkest of the dark.

 

[pampered1224]

Swansborro this is a powerful thread. It can be defined either as a personal inner journey or an out ward religious one. But both have one piece in common. Faith! Faith in a higher power, and ALL religions are represented by faith, or faith in ones own self. There is an uncertainty that sits in the pit of my stomach morning, noon and night. Eroding all that I though I believed in. Self included. I personally needed to start this thread so I could be reminded to not be selfish in that erosion. I am 50. I define myself by what I do not by what or who I am or have to offer. When an interviewer asks what I can offer to a company, I always state the obvious job skills. DUH! There is a heck of a lot more but I can not always see that. Now that my schooling is ending, I did it to myself again. I lost my definition of me. Now I am not a student. Now I am not employed. (That is the thinking behind my why I have never been able to make PC a full time job by the way! If I am not working for someone else, my definition of self is not a positive one!) EVERYONE of us has things working against us. I am a person who has to know that because I am not alone in these things, that I am also NOT to be BLAMED for everything that is happening to me. More and more I am told that situations CAN be blamed. Those are the things we have no control over. The bad economy closing the place we worked,(It was not like I did something awful to close the company I worked for!), the bad people out to destroy us, or simply the FACT that I was not the only one to loose a job so that is why I can not find one. Not because I have so much less to offer but because there are so many of us who do have a lot TOO offer. I DID NOT CAUSE THOSE THINGS SO I NEED TO KNOW I CAN STOP BLAMING MYSELF! And I needed to make sure others were not also doing this to themselves.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

John, I know it may not seem like much, but I just want you to know that I am thankful for YOU!

So many times you have encouraged and challenged me, and as many times you have made me laugh. Your attitude is such an inspiration. Know that I will pray for you and be your friend. :love:

 

[SwansboroPC]

Dear John, I hope you did not read what I wrote as a critique, it was my own thoughts on my own experience to a time when I sat on my own front steps. I too, define myself by external criteria, usually the balance in my checking acct. Then I try to remember the good I have done for others, that only I and or they and I know about. I also remember my own Faith, which may sound like a platitude, but the two things I hold on to when I pray is that "God will never give me anything greater than I can handle" and that when "God closes one door he opens another."
We have all walked different paths in this life, but we also have many similarities. I remember being let go from a job, at age 50, and the next morning, while out with my dog in the dogpark, someone kicked my blind Newfoundland. After giving her a proper dressing down I sat on a bench next to someone I was friendly with and said " this isn't the morning to be messing with me I just lost my job!" Now, I only knew him from the dogpark, but he said, "thats no good, we have to get you a job" Don't you know his connection got me an interview, I got the job.....and met my husband! I know it sounds very cutesy, but I was out of work for a while and ate alot of egg salad and peanut butter.
You are in my thoughts and prayers,Diane

 

[pampered1224]

Becky - I appreciate that and I very much appreciate you! Pray for strength for me! I think I passed the "crumble part" though and I will be able to explain that on Monday I hope. (I love hope!) I love Faith even more! Diane - OMG! I am sorry if I made you feel like you needed to apologize! In fact, it is kind of funny in a way. It takes a lot for me to take something the wrong way any more. (unless it is in a bit of a sick and twisted way! KG - don't you dare!), Becky can attest to that and if Carolyn were here, she definitely knows because the two of them really verbally kicked my butt when I was coming down on everyone out here for time. I was in a really bad place and I well, hated for lack of a better word, everyone and every thing. Especially my self. Now every thing I read, is a positive. I saw where you were coming from! So I am returning your apology to you and handing back a thank you. I am just so glad that you all saw it not as a political thing. Those things were just that, things, outside influence that we all get so distracted by that it literally makes you mentally ill. (Not that I have that far to go but hey!).