Of Give And Take

"Every town...has its ups and downs...sometimes ups...outnumber the downs..." - Disney's ROBIN HOOD

            It seems the past couple years have really tested our resolve not only as a society, but as individuals. At least it seems that way to me.
    So much has happened to test us, to stress us, and to make us wonder and doubt.Sometimes it feels like a snowball effect, just building up and building up to overwhelm us.Sometimes it does. And sometimes it melts right before it hits us. Then again, sometimes it melts AFTER it hits us.
    Either way, the point is that that snowball doesn't stick around forever.
    I'm an eternal optimist. I've been told it's a personality flaw. But, seeing as I'm an optimist, I don't look at it that way. See, I tend to believe The Miracle until the very last second. Time and time again, I've waited as the clock ticked down, expecting that last minute miracle.
    Most times, the miracles comes AFTER the last minute. Or, it could be a continuous thing that just takes so much time to complete a cycle we don't even notice it.There has been significant loss for so many people over the past couple years, and it certainly seems as if we're in a downswing. However, the good thing about a downswing is it eventually has to come back up.
    So here we find us once again. It's fitting, I think, that this holiday comes when it does. I don't know if those who started it planned it that way or if it just happened, but either way... The year is coming to an end, things are getting ready to start over, and it's a good time to look back and reflect on what has happened during the past several months. Storms, vacations, births, deaths, illnesses, recoveries, just everything that has happened to us and those around us. Thanksgiving is just a few short days away, and that's what we do: we give thanks to whomever and whatever we feel deserves it. What are we thankful for? What do we have, what have we achieved, what have we accomplished, what did we manage this year? For those of us facing strife and difficulty, it's a chance to reassess our lives and take notice of the things we kept instead of the things we lost, the things we have instead of what we do not. This is when we turn to our family, and when they're not around, our friends.
    That's where I find myself this year. It's different, I'll admit that. Because of miscommunication between my family members, I found myself without a place to go for Thanksgiving for the first time since... well, EVER. I had always come home for Thanksgiving, even when I was in college. It was always amongst family, and my family even invited some of our friends to join us if need be. This year, that didn't happen. I found myself thinking and wondering about other options. That's when Erika suggested we do something at MY house. Hm. Never done that before. OK, let's plan for that. Wait, a couple people we want to bring are highly allergic to my zoo. That's when another friend offered HER place. Hey, that works! Let's get a bunch of Misfit Toys together and have our own Thanksgiving. Kinda fitting, when you think about it. That's what it's all about, opening your doors to those in need and giving. The original concept of Thanksgiving was just that, a communal meal. Everyone put in, everyone was able to partake. This year, I will sit at a table with a small circle of my closest friends and laugh and have fun with them.
    I'm not going to dwell about how I lost my job. Instead, I'm going to enjoy that my blood pressure has dropped and my foot and leg pain have decreased exponentially. I'm not going to dwell on how I lost my kitty. Instead, I'm going to be happy that she chose to come to me for warmth and comfort in her final hours. I'm not going to stress about fighting for my home. I'm going to be thankful that I have one. I'm going to love and snuggle my puppies, I'm going to love and cuddle my kitties (except for Millie because I'll lose a limb, but I'll pet her and let her cuddle ME.) I'm going to enjoy the company of my friends and those around me, and I'm going to be thankful for what I have. I do this not because I have to, not because I'm supposed to, but because I AM. I'm thankful for my home when so many have lost theirs. I'm thankful for the warmth in my life when so many are out in the cold. I'm thankful for ALL my family and ALL my friends when so many are alone during this season. I am thankful for all I have, for all I have done, for all I have achieved and accomplished, and I am HOPEFUL for all that is to come and all that I plan to do.
    This is when we give. This is what we give. So give it. Happy Thanksgiving.