Yay for Thanksgiving! I’m giving fervent thanks for stuffing and cranberry sauce, which I gobble until I have to unbutton my pants.
Truth is, feeling thankful and finding gratitude can be a challenge when so much of 2020 stinks. Can we just strike this year from the history books?
For many of us Thanksgiving will be very different, with more caution and fewer guests. You might feel sad or lonely… or thrilled that great-aunt Ginny can’t ask, “So, when are you getting married/having kids/getting a real job?” See, there’s always an upside.
Here’s what I’ll be thankful for this year, despite COVID-19, the death of Eddie van Halen, isolation, social distancing, not eating out and wearing a mask every. single. day.
- I’m thankful for books. If you’re a reader, you know why. If you’re not, there’s always Netflix.
- I’m beyond thankful for Netflix! We’d go nuts without it. Weeks after finishing the series, we’re still talking about “Hell on Wheels.” If you love history + the American west + bad guys vs. good guys, this show’s for you. P.S. “I am Thor Gunderson… of Norway!”
- I’m thankful for the ability to buy masks that offer protection to me and those I encounter. Bonus blessing: Finding silk ones with snazzy patterns.
• I’m thankful when I turn on the tap and clean water comes out. Millions of people don’t have access to this basic necessity. Visit donorbox.org to find 10 nonprofits working to end the global water crisis.
- I’m thankful for unanswered prayers. For a couple of years, I’ve been trying to coax Widdle into adopting a dog or cat. (I’m not picky.) His answer was always a firm “Hell to the naw.” As usual, his timing was spot on: Right now he’d be crutching around the house with an animal weaving around his feet. What could go wrong?
- I’m thankful for a washer and dryer in our house, because I remember going to the laundromat.
- I’m thankful for cosmetics, which literally let me fake it ‘til I make it. I’m a lipstick junkie and wear it under my mask--even though nobody sees it, I know it’s there. Kinda like wearing nice underwear.
- I’m thankful for driving a safe vehicle that gets me from point A to point B with no drama. It looks like an SUV drawn by a four-year-old, but it gets the job done.
- I’m thankful for popcorn, veggie burgers, Swerve brown sugar and Lean Cuisines, without which I’d starve to death.
- I’m thankful for being raised in a God-fearing family, because without God, I’d be fearing everything.
- I’m thankful for TV/radio news… which require us to do our own fact-checking and educate ourselves. Think about that for a minute. Maybe you can’t “trust” Fox or CNN, but you can sure draw your own conclusions. (I haven’t trusted a news anchor since Walter Cronkite.)
- I’m thankful for bubble baths, library books, soft washcloths and quiet time. Also flannel pajamas.
- I’m thankful for our treadmill, where I can work out my feelings even if it’s raining or 98 degrees outside.
- I’m thankful for social media, which makes me laugh, cry and think. I don’t take it seriously—you won’t find me arguing politics on any forum—because it’s just mindless fun.
- I’m thankful for my brothers, who also make me laugh, cry and think. I couldn’t ask for better sibs.
- I’m thankful for soft pillows and weighted blankets and a bed big enough to toss ‘em everywhere.
Julie R. Smith, who’s also thankful for cashews and cheap moisturizer, can be reached at widdleswife@aol.com.
