A Happy Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving, and I’m feeling pretty good.

In my little corner of the world, the sun is shining, creating a lovely warm and cozy apple-pie glow on the walls. It’s chilly outside, the air smells clean, the sky is blue, and all of the best qualities of autumn are manifest. Just enough wind to blow the leaves around without being bitter cold, but brisk enough to justify a good cup of hot coffee and a bracing breakfast. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I don’t have to be at work. It’s almost as if I fell asleep wearing rose colored glasses and they simply fused to my nose. This holiday for me has been, over the years, comprised overwhelmingly of more incredibly good memories than bad ones (although the few bad ones are real hum-dingers.)

I’m lucky, I know.

Suddenly, and out of nowhere, really, I’m reminded that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for Thanksgiving. For instance, my extended family by marriage is multi-cultural, and there’s no Thanksgiving in Denmark, so for my second cousin currently living in the US, the fourth Thursday in November is simply a few paid days off. There are others, too, who go to great lengths to be anti-holiday, who call it a “commercial non-occasion”.

Fair enough.

I realize that the importance of Thanksgiving doesn’t lie anywhere near the Pilgrim story that we’re given as children. I suppose it’s a handy story, a tidy way to teach tolerance, sharing, learning, giving, and assuredly many other desirable qualities that can sometimes seem quite abstract for the very young. I’m not saying it didn’t happen, because I’m sure that somewhere along the line, the European and Native cultures merged in a harmonious way. On the other hand, no holiday would be complete without a little controversy: there’s the whole “we gave them smallpox blankets and alcoholism” contingency, and that’s okay too. We did, I guess, and whether there was malice aforethought, we’ll never know for sure. At any rate, I’m pretty sure that there is a little too much focus on turkeys and shoe buckles and who brought the cranberries to America’s First Potluck, when the pith of the whole thing is to look inside our wee jaded hearts and find some gratitude there.

I whipped out the microscope, and this is what I found. I am deeply thankful:

1. For the experiences, good and bad, that made me the person I am today.

2. That I have to use both hands and a few of my toes to count the people in my world who truly love me for who I am and whom I can trust with my life. My life. Are you kidding me? That’s a gift, for sure.

3. That I won’t be cooking this holiday. The local E.R. is pleased, too.

Have a safe Thanksgiving, and here’s to your Alka-Seltzer always being within arm’s reach today.