Ok, so maybe we’re in one of the worst economic slumps most of us have ever known, we’re all realizing we’re poorer than a soggy Ritz cracker, and if we’re not careful someone is going to foreclose on the U.S. and make us all go live in Bangladesh. Times are tough, I know, but let’s remember something this time of year: There’s a lot to still be thankful for.
It’s not all gloom-and-doom. Sure, we don’t have any money to spend and our 401ks have been reduced to 328bs. But is that what it was always about? No way. Besides, sometimes it takes a financial hardship to make us take stock of our lives (not just our money) and focus on what’s important — what’s really meaningful to us.
So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, and to get you thinking along these lines, too, here are just a few things I’m grateful for this year:
Running, now that I can again — A few months back a surfboard fin on my own board decided it was really a pirate’s cutlass. And it attacked my thigh like a good pirate should causing all kinds of problems. But I’ve been back out pounding the pavement again the past couple months, and I feel great. Running is swell. I love it. It’s relaxing, exhilarating, and there’s nothing better than a runner’s high. Lots of people ask what that is exactly. Well, it’s a sign that not enough oxygen is getting to your brain. It doesn’t make you run faster, but it sure makes you run happier.
Velcro — What an invention. I couldn’t imagine trying to tie laces on tiny little shoes like my daughter wears. It would drive me insane. But thanks to Velcro, I don’t have to.
Toasted marshmallows on the top of sweet potatoes. — This only comes about once a year for me, and it’s a small pleasure. But what a good one.
Special insulating curtains — When you live in a century-old house with extremely tall windows made of glass that seem more like window screen mesh, curtains that help keep out the cold and keep in the warmth are a heck of a find. Used to be in the cold winter months you would stand near a window and walk away with icicles hanging from your nose. No more.
Family — I can honestly say there isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not thankful for mine, and especially my amazing little daughter. Sure, there are also days when I’m thankful that she’s gone to sleep or that I’m going to work, but I love them all the same.
Finally learning how to properly blow my nose — Strange bit of trivia: I’ve always breathed out of my mouth. Not sure why, but could be due to the fact that I had asthma as a child, a runny nose since I was a single-cell inside my mother’s belly and that only one nostril ever works at one time. I’ve always been stuffed up, and I never could blow my nose in a way that brought any kind of relief. So instead when I was sick I would wipe my nose endlessly until the first three layers of skin would peel off and my honker turned the color of a fire truck. I won’t mention how I would make use of shirt sleeves, even into my college years. But recently, upon observing my wife’s Mount St. Helens-sized schnoz-blows, I realized I never put enough force into it. I needed to make my ears pop and small woodland critters run away in terror. I needed to blow until my hair went straight and I saw spots. I needed to use 18 or more tissues and spend at least 20 minutes on the endeavor. Then — strangest thing! — I’d be able to breathe out of my nose … for at least 18 seconds … before repeating the whole procedure all over again. I’m thankful for your guidance, honey.
Maybe most of all, I’m thankful just to have the kind of life I’ve always wanted to live, and for being able to spend as much time with my family as I like. It doesn’t take money for that, and if you have insulating curtains, it’s even better.