It is so easy for us to get lost in the activities, and festivities, of the Holidays and lose sight of what they mean, why we set them aside as "National Holidays". For me,Thanksgiving is a very special Holiday in that its very name describes what it is suppose to represent....a day to spend time recognizing and giving thanks. Speaking for myself, I know I simply do not always take the time to recognize those things, people, or events in my life for which I should give thanks. The irony is that it is not all that hard to stop for a few seconds and appreciate and be thankful, but we do tend to make it hard for ourselves. We wait for an entire year, Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving, to stop and reflect and be thankful....and then we have difficulty remembering all of what we have in our lives for which to be thankful.
I so appreciate that as we age that it is often difficult to feel joyful about our current situation....all the aches and pains, the deteriorating eyesight, the chronic illnesses, the rising cost of living on a fixed income, the loss of friends and family....but we can, and should be thankful for life. Be thankful for what we do have in our lives...the fact we live in the United States as a free, democratic society, the joy of a bright sunny day, the sound of laughter, the moments that are pain free. Often times we can be so focused on the negative aspects we can't see, can't hear, the joyful and beautiful aspects.
I believe we have this choice. We can choose to be joyful, positive and thankful. It isn't always easy....in fact, it can be very hard sometimes to make this choice. However, it has been my experience in this business, that those who do choose to be joyful, positive and thankful lead longer more fulfilling lives, right up to the very end. I am thankful for this lesson in my life, and I choose to be thankful and happy.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
