My heart hurt this week. There’s so much anger and pain and wrong in the world right now and it makes me ache. At time I’ve felt brittle and fragile and like I want to hide my head under the pillows and cry.
At various times I’ve been tempted to rant about the fact that there are Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving is over. I wanted to rave about the commercialism and let my cynical side tell me the holidays are just an excuse to sell more products. I wanted to be angry about this country’s deplorable treatment of Native Americans and the Catholic Church’s many failings.
Instead, I made a conscious choice to make Thanksgiving and Christmas about what matters to me. Spending time with people I care about, appreciating the good things in my life, eating delicious homemade meals, enjoying the cozy feeling of being in a warm house when it’s cold outside.
I can’t solve the world’s problems. I can’t take on all of the pain and make it go away. But I can try to make my corner of the world a nicer place. I can appreciate what I have.
I have a home. I have cats. I have good health and a decent paying job with good benefits.
But mostly, I have people: family people, friend people. People I never expected to build such a strong connection with. People I’m intensely grateful for. People who are so wonderful they take my breath away on a daily basis.
So instead of letting the world drag me down I’m going to enjoy it.
Today, I’ll go to my in-law’s house and celebrate Thanksgiving with them. Friday, I’ll sleep in and have a lazy day watching movies with Mr. Vaughn while we make mashed potatoes and applesauce. Saturday I’ll celebrate Thanksgiving with my parents and one aunt. Sunday we’ll cut a live Christmas tree and put it up.
If that isn’t an amazing way to celebrate the start of the holiday season, I don’t know what is. I’m grateful for it.
Oh, and before I forget, check out my coupon code page for 50% off Equals and Partners because I’m grateful for my readers. And there might just be a holiday novella in the Equals series that’ll be coming soon …
Comments