Be Thankful For Crap

You had to have guessed that the Thanksgiving post would be coming. I mean, come on. I can't let a holiday about being thankful pass by without using this platform as a way to encourage your own gratitude.

I apologize for the few days I've taken off. My body decided that Sunday would be the perfect day to get sick. I can't even be that upset. My birthday is over and I should be mostly better by tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Honestly, if it was going to happen at any time, now was the best time for it to happen. But anyway, I've just been a snot-nosed, mopey, lump on the couch who dozes in and out of consciousness and misses being able to hear and breathe. It's pretty sexy, it really is (see below).

Sad panda.

But I'm up and around today getting things ready for Thanksgiving. I'm washing my hands so much that I seem borderline OCD but I don't want to be blamed for giving people a cold via my cornbread.

Oh! Also, my interview went well so let's keep our fingers and toes crossed that something good comes out of this :-)

Now for the Thanksgiving message from yours truly:

The easiest part of being thankful or grateful is being appreciative of the good things. It isn't hard to say, "I'm thankful for my wonderful family" or "I'm thankful for the roof over my head". On some level, we're all thankful for the good things we do have (and if you're not, maybe you should try that out). I think it's beautiful that we have a day set aside to express that gratitude and I do so wish it shined through in more people the other 364 days of the year. The fact is, it's easy to be thankful for the good things, whatever they may be for you.

But what about the crap? That's right: THE CRAP. It's so much harder to be thankful for the crap we've gone through since last Thanksgiving. It's far more difficult to be thankful for something like losing a job or breaking a bone or finding out that you or a loved one has a serious illness. I'm sure that right now, you're looking at your computer screen or phone with the most quizzical look on your face. "What the hell? I'm not about to be thankful that I lost my job and had to go on unemployment and that paying bills is a serious struggle." I can't say I blame you for that. It sounds absolutely ridiculous, doesn't it? I hate that I'm on unemployment and I can barely balance paying loans and health insurance and bills in general. IT SUCKS. But I know that I would have never decided to go for this yoga teacher training if I didn't lose my job. I wouldn't have had this time to learn a lot about myself and what I'm capable of. I wouldn't have been able to see just who my truest friends are and how supportive they've been. The beauty of a struggle or hardship isn't necessarily the difficulty itself. The beauty usually shows up once we're past it and we can reflect and acknowledge that we took something away from that dark place.

So yes, be thankful for the crap. Be grateful for the things in your life that you have bitched and moaned about. Look back on this past year and realize that in those moments when you thought, "This is the worst thing ever" and you were sad or angry or miserable that you're here NOW. You made it and you learned something about yourself and those around you.

Of course, continue to be thankful for all the things you have and (at least for one day) forget about the things you want. I have so many blessings to be thankful for right now. SO MANY. I can't even begin to list them all. I also had a lot of crap happen from last Thanksgiving to this one and it all brought me to where I am now. I'm thankful for that crap.

I wish you all a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy the time with your family, friends, loved ones, or maybe even volunteering to help those in need. Enjoy the food and merriment and go into the holiday season with a warm smile and a kind heart. I'm thankful for you and that you read what I write and, if you feel so inclined, feel free to comment about a crap from this last year that you can look back on and feel thankful for.