Having Enough

 Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

I ran across this sentiment online somewhere. And I like it. The sentiment seems appropriate during this season of thanksgiving, when we are called to consider our blessings (if we can take a few moments from the ever-intensifying calls to spend, spend, spend on Christmas things) and to appreciate and share our blessings with those less fortunate among us.

I believe it is important not only to acknowledge all we have, both physically and emotionally, but to understand that what we have truly is enough. There certainly are those who do not have enough -- enough food, enough clothing, enough medical care, enough shelter, enough moral support and enough money to support them -- but most of us do have more than enough. Yes, even though many are struggling due to the high cost of nearly everything, we are better off than many in other countries.

So please consider those among us who do not have enough. Too many of our elderly face a season of hunger and loneliness. Too many of our veterans struggle with PTSD and other mental health challenges. Too many of our citizens are homeless or hungry.

I can't save the world. But I can buy an extra can or soup or a package of pasta when they are on sale and donate food to a local food bank, or donate a warm coat to a winter coat drive. The important thing is, I can, and I will, do something. I have enough to do those simple things. Today my local police department is having a food drive to benefit a local food pantry. I have a couple bags of food to donate, as well as canned and dry dog food to donate to a pet food bank that help people feed their companion animals. I will probably make a donation to the local Meals on Wheels organization as well, to help provide meals to the elderly and those physically or financially unable to shop for or prepare meals for themselves.

I recall a story from years ago about an elderly parent saying goodbye to an adult child and parting with the words "I wish you enough." The mother wished her daughter enough good times to sustain her through life, enough pain to make her appreciate the good things in her life, and enough loss to appreciate all she has. You can find the entire brief story of the encounter online.

I suspect most Americans are not satisfied with simply having enough. We always seem to want more than enough. We see this among so many of the super wealthy in our country, who have billions of dollars but still want more. Rather than donating some of their hundreds of millions of dollars to help others, their focus is on accumulating even more wealth.

So as we approach Thanksgiving, I wish you all enough.

Thanksgiving 2022

It's a few days before Thanksgiving, and a good time to pause and consider all for which I am thankful.

I

It's easy while living our comfortable lives to overlook the many blessings we have. So much of the world's population isn't nearly as fortunate.

This year has been a pretty good one for me. I got to travel again after getting fully vaccinated against the covid virus and after a year of reduced travel due to the pandemic. I had a fourth (and hopefully final) surgery to remove kidney stones. After one of my dogs -- the young one -- tripped me and I did a face plant on the dirt road that knocked loose the artificial lens in one eye -- I was able to get a new lens implanted by an amazing eye surgeon.

I traveled to Scotland to visit a friend in Edinburgh for a week, and a mutual friend from England joined us for a few days. I fulfilled a long-held dream of vising Greece and Namibia. My Scottish friend and I traveled to Alaska for more than 2 weeks, exploring much of that vast state. Another dream trip to Pompeii will wrap up the year's travels.

I am so grateful for the urologist who continues to monitor my kidney health and who performed my most recent kidney stone surgery.

I am grateful for my friend who continues to provide transportation home after surgery and after trips to the retina specialist when my. eyes are dilated.

I am thankful for my retina specialist, who is a skilled and kind man, and I am so grateful to have him in my corner.  And I am extremely thankful that my eyes are still good enough to allow me to follow my passion of wildlife and landscape photography. I also am grateful for the ophthalmologist who completed a lengthy and complex surgery to replace the lens in one eye. I am so fortunate that after a face-down fall that knocked me unconscious for a few seconds (thanks to an exuberant puppy) didn't cause any more serious damage.

I am grateful for my good health and for being able to walk 4 miles every day. When so many my age face serious and debilitating health problems, I am still active and healthy. I don't need a walker or a cane, and I don't need supplemental oxygen as do so many. My aging body can't do all the things it used to do, but I am so grateful that I can continue to live independently and retain my mobility. As I get older and a variety of aches and pains (osteoarthritis and bursitis) afflict me, I am so appreciative that these are the only afflictions that bother me.

I am thankful that my daughter is doing well as a new mother, and that her baby son is healthy and happy.

I am grateful that my sister visited me in New Mexico. I also am grateful that my daughter and grandson came to visit for my birthday this year.

As the weather turns cold, I am grateful for my wonderful, warm house with its beautiful views of the mountains. I am grateful for my two dogs that keep me on my toes every day and love me beyond words.  

Unlike so many, I have more than enough to eat, I have warm clothes, a reliable car and good health insurance. I have money to cover any emergencies that pop up. This more than most is very difficult due to the high price of groceries, fuel and just about everything else.

And I am grateful that I have both the means and the desire to help feed those in need through World Central Kitchen, Roadrunner Food Bank and Meals on Wheels.

I am grateful to live in a free country where people are allowed to vote without fear of repercussions, although the recent spate of laws designed to suppress the vote of millions of people concerns me greatly. I value our ability to peacefully protest. I am grateful for the members of our military who keep us safe and free, and for the first responders who daily risk their lives in service to others. I am particularly grateful for the nurses, respiratory therapists, physicians and other medical staff who care for us.

I will prepare a sort of Thanksgiving meal this year for the first time in a few years. I have bought a turkey, (at a price I couldn't refuse), and although I will dine alone, I will enjoy a somewhat traditional Thanksgiving meal. I won't make mashed potatoes or have dessert or cranberries, but the essence of the meal will be there.  And the reason for the meal will be present.

I am grateful for the fierce determination and sacrifices of the people of Ukraine who continue to fight against the invading Russians.

I will spend a quiet day at home, knowing I have plenty to eat and thinking about the many blessings in my life. Because in the end, regardless of our troubles, we in this country still do have much for which to be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. And remember, Thanksgiving shouldn't be merely a day that comes once a year. We should be thankful for our bounty every day.

Small Joys

This is a tough time of year.

In addition to the pandemic that continues to worsen every day, the days are growing shorter as the season moves toward winter. For those of us who need lots of sunshine, it can be difficult to keep spirits up with limited hours of daylight. I'm sitting at my desk looking out on a dark yard, but with a lightening sky over Albuquerque. Then it dawned on me (no pun intended) as I enjoy a cup of hot tea: There are some small joys to be had today.

First, I enjoyed being comfortable and warm beneath flannel sheets and a weighted blanket despite a chronic inability to sleep. I took a few minutes before getting up, to savor my comfortable mattress and warm sheets and blankets. Then I got to indulge in a cup of hot tea, this one bringing back memories of a visit to Highclere Castle, aka Downton Abbey. Although the sky is mostly cloudy, orange-tinted clouds are visible at the top of one section of the mountain. Winters in particular share some amazing sunrises with those of us fortunate to live here. Then I got an order for a photo wall calendar, something I make and sell to raise money for a couple of charities. I love sharing my photography with people. 

Thanksgiving is a few days away, and I have no idea what dinner will be. I have searched the grocery store for a frozen turkey roast, without success. I haven't bought one for a few years, so perhaps they are no longer available.

It doesn't really matter what I cook. I will fix something that will fill my stomach. I will go for a walk or two. I will take a nap. I will be grateful for all that I have and try to ignore the things I am missing.

What else do I need?

 

I Am Done with Thanksgiving

I think I'm done with Thanksgiving.

Well, not with the holiday, but with preparing mounds of food. This year I bought an 11-pound smoked turkey. All I had to do was heat it for a couple of hours, and prepare some side dishes.

I had planned to have the big meal for lunch, but rather than turkey, I fixed a pizza. The turkey didn't get cooked until early evening. None of the side dishes got prepared. Even the fresh green beans I had steamed a couple of days previously remained in the refrigerator. Once dinner was over, I cut the meat off the turkey, put the carcass (or as much as would fit) into my slow cooker to make some stock, and washed the dishes that couldn't go into the dish washer. 

Gone are the days when I would make stuffing, gravy and mashed potatoes from scratch. Gravy now comes in a jar, stuffing in a box and mashed potatoes in another box. I don't prepare or buy a dessert either. Cooking for one isn't worth the effort any more. 

A few of my online friends commented that they went out for their Thanksgiving meal, or got burgers to go. I'm not much of a burger person, but I think next year I will scout out some local restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving. Or maybe I will attend the free Thanksgiving meal provided by a local food pantry. I volunteered at the pantry for a couple of years, and I enjoyed working a shift as a server at the holiday meal on two occasions. It's open to everyone -- the homeless, those who don't want to or who are unable to cook, anybody who is alone on Thanksgiving. So that is a possibility. Or maybe I will go away for the holiday to someplace warm.

I'm not, of course, giving up on the idea of counting my blessings and being thankful for all I have. Those are things that should be part of our lives every day. Thanksgiving has lost so much of its uniqueness over the years. Now it is little more than a speed bump during the mad rush to find "the perfect gift."

So just maybe the time has come to give up on the idea of cooking a lot of food just for myself. Several years ago, I drastically reduced the amount of baking I do for the holidays. Since I retired, I have no one at work with whom to share the fudge and several kinds of cookies I used to make. And I haven't prepared a big meal for Christmas day for a few years.

I refuse to subject myself to hordes of pushing, shoving, noisy people at the mall as they search for "the perfect gift." I pick up things for a friend in another state as I come across them during the year, but otherwise I have no one for whom to shop. So I focus on the real spirit of the season, of donating to those less fortunate. And of course, I continue to enjoy listening to my close to 50 CDs of Christmas music.  

We'll see how I feel about cooking next Thanksgiving, but after so many years I think it's time to simplify the day and focus instead on feeling grateful for what I have.

What Makes You Blessed?

This is an appropriate question at this time of year.

It's easy to overlook all the blessings in our lives. Each life has its ups and downs, its successes and failures. I, like most people, tend to focus on the challenges in life. Our country is struggling; it is divided more than it has been during my lifetime. Acts of violence and hatred have skyrocketed. 

I have continued to struggle with eye issues that have left me with greatly diminished vision in what used to be my 'good' eye. I have had four eye surgeries, a non-surgical procedure, a laser treatment and two injections into one eye in less than two years. My vision will never be what it used to be.  But

• I am blessed that I can see well enough to drive, to read, to travel and to take part in my passion of photography. I can continue to live independently.   
• I am blessed to be able to travel the world. In 2018, I visited Yellowstone, Nicaragua, Tanzania, Alaska, Brazil, Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, Colorado and Ethiopia.   
• I am blessed to own a beautiful home that I love. It provides shelter from the heat, cold, rain and wind. It is a safe haven for me and my dogs. It has gorgeous views of the mountains.
• I am blessed to share my life with three loving dogs who ask for nothing more than a daily walk, good food and lots of attention. 
• I am blessed to have a good friend who has been, and is, willing to drive me to countless eye appointments.  
• I am blessed to have food for myself and my dogs. My pantry and my freezer are filled with food. 
• Unlike so many Americans, I am blessed to have good health insurance that pays for almost all of my medical expenses, including my expensive eye surgeries. 
• I am blessed to have a wonderful, supportive friend in California. We seldom get to visit in person, but she is just a phone call away.
• Overall, I am in good health. Eye problems aside, I have no major health issues.
• I am blessed to live in a free country, despite its current problems, divisiveness and corruption.

I could go on to list many more ways in which I am blessed. But you get the idea. Regardless of our circumstances and struggles, there are blessings to be found in our lives. 

With Thanksgiving Day just a week away, I encourage everyone to take a few minutes to think about the blessings in your life. And please consider what you can do to be a blessing to others. Perhaps you can volunteer for a cause that's important to you. Perhaps you can give an elderly neighbor a ride to the grocery store. Visit someone who is lonely. Donate food to an organization that helps feed those who cannot afford to buy enough food for themselves or their family. 

I wish everyone a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving 2017

Thanksgiving is just one day away. 

This has been another rough year for me. I have had three retina surgeries this year, but I am thankful that I live in an area that has not one, but several, very skilled retina surgeons. Without them, I would be facing a life of blindness. And I am grateful to my friend who has driven me to eye doctor appointments more times than I can remember when I am unable to drive safely with two dilated eyes.

I have had some housing issues this year, including a leaking roof that caused damage to the ceiling in my pantry. But I am thankful that the minor repair was covered by the roofing company's warranty, and that the small hole was repaired quickly and easily. (The drywall in the ceiling hasn't yet been repaired).

My air conditioner, which is only 4 years old, has had ongoing problems and finally was destroyed by a lightning strike. I'm certainly not thankful for that, but I am grateful that this happened in late September, after the worst of the hot weather had passed.

I am thankful that  my dogs, for the most part, have remained healthy this year. Layla suffered a bou of colitis, but medication and a soft diet for a few days cleared it up. And I am thankful that Bailey has decided that Benny is OK and a good playmate for her.

I am thankful for my friend in South Carolina, who is always there with an encouraging word or advice when I need it most.

I am thankful for the travel opportunities I have enjoyed this year, with trips to Yellowstone National Park, Cuba, France, Kenya, Utah, Morocco and Joshua Tree National Park.

I am especially thankful for my travel companions from England and Scotland that made our three-week trip to Kenya so special. And I am thankful for the wonderful wildlife sightings during that trip, the best ever during my five trips to Africa. I am thankful for the people I have met during my travels with whom I am still in contact. I now have friends in Kenya, Ireland, Scotland, Russia, Germany, England, Turkey, France and other countries.

I am thankful for having clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. So many people, even in the United States, don't have these essentials. And I am thankful for our nation's natural beauty -- the mountains and forests in particular -- that give me so much pleasure. I am so thankful for the individuals and organizations that fight to protect our wilderness and our wildness, and to protect our air and water from those who want to destroy them in the name of profit.

I am NOT thankful for the current state of the American nation, nor for the current administration. But I remain thankful to live in a free country.

I am grateful for my house and my car, and for never having to worry about having clothes to wear or food to eat. 

Despite life's challenges -- and we all have them -- we are better off than the vast majority of people in the world. We do have much for which to give thanks. For me, Thanksgiving is not just a speed bump on the race to Christmas. It's isn't about 'Black Friday' or 'gray November' or staring the search for 'the perfect gift.' Thanksgiving deserves its own holiday and its own special recognition.

I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with warmth, joy and a spirit of sharing.

Happy Thanksgiving 2016

It's the day before Thanksgiving, and a good time to pause and consider all for which we can be thankful.

It hasn't been a great year for me. In February, while on safari in northern Kenya, I fell and broke my wrist. But I am thankful for the quick response of the camp manager and several of the local Samburu staff. I am thankful for the pilot that flew to a remote airstrip to get me and fly me to Nairobi, for the compassionate care I received from the hospital staff, and for the skilled surgeon who put my wrist back together at 1 a.m. I am thankful for the young Kenyan nurse named Barack who kept my mind off my pain by sharing his love of American history with me as I waited for surgery. I am grateful for the assistance I received from the other members of my group, particularly my tentmate and retired Scottish nurse who did everything from tie my shoes to help me get dressed after the surgery. 

I am grateful for the skilled eye surgeon who removed the cataract from both of my eyes and for the friend who drove me to my first post-op appointment until I was cleared to drive. I am grateful for my good health and for being able to walk at least 4 miles every day. When so many my age face serious and debilitating health problems, I am still active and healthy.

I am grateful that my daughter married a very nice young man serving his country in the Air Force, that they live just 30 minutes away, and that she is doing well in her job as a hair stylist. 

I am thankful for the many opportunities to travel this year -- to Kenya, India, South Africa, Monument Valley, England, Ireland, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Costa Rica, Mexico and Guatemala. 

As the weather turns cold, I am grateful for my wonderful, warm house with its beautiful views of the mountains. I am grateful for my three dogs that keep me on my toes every day and love me beyond words. Unlike so many, I have more than enough to eat, I have warm clothes, a reliable car and good health insurance.

Despite the angst I feel about the most recent presidential election, I am grateful to live in a free country where people are allowed to vote without fear of repercussions. I value our ability to peacefully protest. I am grateful for the members of our military who keep us safe and free, and for the first responders who daily risk their lives in service to others. 

I won't be preparing a Thanksgiving meal this year for the first time in decades. I have lost my sense of taste and smell, so I'm not very motivated to spend hours cooking a big dinner that I won't be able to enjoy. But I can spend the day knowing I have plenty to eat and thinking about the many blessings in my life. Because in the end, regardless of our troubles, we in this country do still have much for which to be thankful.

Think Gratitude

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend."

On this eve of the day Americans set aside each year to offer thanks and gratitude for our many blessings, I want to pause and offer a few thoughts.

Our country, and indeed, the world, is embroiled in a fight against the evils known as ISIS, Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda. These shadowy organizations pose a major threat to the lives and safety of millions of people around the world. They have no conscience, they show no mercy in their campaign to subject the world to their corrupt version of Islam. Quite simply, they must be stopped. I am grateful that unlike the people of France, Libya, Nigeria, Tunisia and other countries, we have largely been spared from their horrors.

And we who live in the safety of this great nation -- despite ongoing threats from those who would do us harm -- have so much for which to be thankful. Let's start with our first responders -- police, firefighters, EMTS and other medical personnel -- who give up time with family to serve those who need help regardless of the day or time.

I am grateful for the members of our military, especially those far from home and in foreign lands, and for the family members left behind to face yet another holiday without their loved ones.

I am grateful for those among us who continue to raise their voices and fight the good fight to save and protect the planet from those who see it only as something to be exploited. Countless individuals and organizations in the U.S. and around the world fight each day to stop pollution, trophy hunting, killing contests and the killing of elephants and rhinoceros for their ivory and tusks. Others fight to prevent Congress from selling our public lands to the highest bidder for mining, drilling or clear-cutting of our forests.

I am grateful as well for those who work tirelessly to save domestic animals from abuse and neglect, and for those dedicated souls who work to safeguard the most vulnerable among us -- the children and elderly. Our system may not be perfect, and far too many fall through the cracks, but we would be so much worse without it.

Think of those who serve hot meals to the hungry and homeless, who provide counseling and warm clothes and a safe place to sleep to those who have none. And be grateful that we are blessed with so many selfless people.

I also am saddened that Thanksgiving is becoming little more than just the prelude to a season of frenzied shopping and overspending in search of 'the perfect gift.' We need to save the shopping until after Thanksgiving. I am grateful that my daughter, at almost 22 years old, recognizes the difference between needs and wants. I have bought her a couple of things for Christmas -- things she can use -- and will give her some money to help with her bills. But long gone are the days when she wanted countless things she didn't need.

I am so very grateful that after years of struggling to find herself and her place in the world, and of struggling with lack of self-esteem, she now is a graduate of cosmetology school, she has a good job in a local salon, and she is in a committed relationship with a very nice young man. Coming from a childhood in Russia filled with abuse, neglect and rejection, she now is able to both give and accept love, and to realize that she deserves to be happy.
  So however you will spend this most American of holidays, I hope it will be filled with true gratitude for all your blessings. And please don't forget those not as blessed.

Do You Feel Blessed?

Do you feel blessed?

I do. Despite all the things that have been causing me stress recently, I know that I am blessed.

• One of my little dogs was sick recently. We never did figure out the reason. But I am blessed to have access to good veterinary care, including a variety of specialists, to try to figure out what was wrong with her.
• With the arrival of cold weather, which I hate, I am blessed to live in a nice house to keep me safe and warm, and to be able to pay for the propane to keep it warm inside.
• Unlike many in the state where I live, I am blessed to have enough to eat. I do not have to worry about where I will get my next meal. My pantry and freezer are overflowing with food. So I buy canned goods and other non-perishable foods when on sale, so I can donate them to food drives throughout the year. 
• I am blessed to have access to safe, clean drinking water.
• I am blessed with good health. I can see, hear, walk and take care of myself. 
• I am recovering from a pulmonary issue that has left me coughing and having breathing difficulties. Fortunately, a trip to a local urgent car center provided testing and medications. Fewer than 24 hours later, I am much improved. And all of this at no out-of-pocket cost to me because of Medicare and private insurance. 
• I have a good, reliable car to get me where I want to go.
• I have a pension and savings to pay for unexpected bills, such as the new furnace I'm getting next week.
• I am blessed that my daughter is happy and healthy, and has a good job and a great boyfriend.
• I am blessed to live in a country that allows me to move wherever I choose to live, to worship as I please and to live my life the way I want to live it.
• I am blessed to have clothes to keep me warm in the winter. Many do not, and suffer through the cold winter weather. 

Now think of the billions of people around the world who do not have these things, who don't have ready access to food and water, who are homeless, lonely, sick or living in terrible poverty. Think of those enslaved or oppressed by their governments, who are unable to vote. Think of those fleeing for their lives to escape war and persecution and terrorism.

So no, our lives aren't perfect, but we are blessed to have the lives we have.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, and please share your blessings with those less fortunate.

Be Thankful and Be Happy

As Thanksgiving 2014 approaches, let us pause amidst the rush and stress of our daily lives to reflect on the many blessings we have. Life may not be as good as we would hope, we may have personal, family, health or financial struggles, but always remember that there are millions of people in this country and around the world who are so much worse off than we are.

Life often isn't easy, and it often isn't fair. Dreams don't always come true. But rather than focusing on what we don't have, on our problems and struggles, let's focus on what we do have.

• Do you have a safe, warm place to live? Many don't. Imagine living on the streets in all kinds of weather.
• Do you have food in your pantry? Many struggle to put food on the table. This is especially true in New Mexico, where I live. This state ranks first in the number of children who don't get enough to eat. It ranks second in the number of senior citizens who struggle to get food. That is an appalling statistic.
• Do you have warm clothes for the winter? Many face the cold weather without adequate coats, hats, gloves and shoes.
• Are you healthy? Not everybody enjoys good health. If your health is good, count your blessings. Many struggle with health problems. And many struggle to pay for needed medications, or have inadequate or no medical insurance.
• Do you have a job, whether it pays well or not, even if you don't like it? Many have lost their jobs and struggle to make ends meet. Some have searched for employment for so long that they have given up.
• Do you have friends or family? Many, particularly the elderly, suffer from loneliness and isolation.

This time of year is challenging for a lot of people. Daylight is short, temperatures cold, and there is the ever-present pressure to have a perfect holiday gathering and to find 'the perfect gift.'  It's sometimes difficult to focus on our blessings. So let us make a real effort to appreciate all we have, to reach out to those less fortunate than we are, and to be happy whatever our circumstances. As the saying goes, "It isn't having what you want. It's wanting what you have."

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

Fall Has Arrived

Today seems like autumn. The temperature never climbed past 55, the sky is cloudy and we have had periods of rain. Add to that the first day of being back on Mountain Standard Time, and it finally seems that fall is here.

Some trees are still holding on to their red and golden leaves, but it now seems that winter can't be too far away. It's a day that makes me want to cook a pot of soup or stew, or maybe bake some cookies. It's definitely a day for comfort food, warm and satisfying. It's a day to break out a sweatshirt or sweater, and to slip into corduroy slacks.. It's a day to stay inside and listen to that all-too-rare sound of rain on the skylights. It's a good day to ensconce myself in my comfy chair, prop my feet up on the matching ottoman, and enjoy a good book. I bought this chair last year from a furniture consignment shop. It's covered with a print pattern of books, which makes it perfect for my office. It isn't too big, and it's very comfortable. Nearby is an old floor lamp that once belonged to my parents. Most mornings, I read the paper while seated at my desk. But on Sundays, I sit in my library chair, enjoy a cup of hot tea, and read the Sunday paper.

As I write this, the remains of a rotisserie chicken are steeping in the slow cooker. A friend just e-mailed that she made a pot of meatball soup and some brownies today. There is a freeze warning for this area tonight. Grocery store ads are filled with the ingredients for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Yes, fall has arrived.

Happy Thanksgrabbing!

Happy Thanksgrabbing is the title of a column in last Sunday's newspaper, and it seems very appropriate this year.

The annual push to find 'the perfect gift' has started even earlier than in years past. Some stores actually put Christmas items on display in August, and a local Albuquerque FM station switched to playing nothing but Christmas music in early November. Not only are we bombarded with 'Black Friday' commercials and ads earlier than ever, but now stores are bleating about 'pre-Black Friday' sales. And of course, opening at 6 a.m. the Friday after Thanksgiving isn't good enough any more. While a few stores opened at midnight last year, this year finds several major retail chains opening on Thanksgiving Day. Talk about corporate greed.

I find this rampant consumerism to be very disheartening. There is nothing in this world that I truly need to buy. I even have a hard time coming up with a short list of things I want, and I put together that list only because my daughter wants to buy something for me for Christmas. So my list includes a bottle of perfume and a couple of music CDs. I enjoy music, so a new CD is always welcome. But truth be told, I get much more pleasure from volunteering at a food bank, or donating food, or buying a wood-burning stove and a couple of food baskets for needy families on the Navajo reservation.

The Thanksgiving holiday is just that -- a day set aside in gratitude for the blessings we have. I live in a beautiful home; my daughter and I are happy and healthy. Our dog, while battling a brain tumor, is doing OK and I can afford the specialized medical care she needs. I have plenty of food in the pantry and freezer. I have money to support me for the rest of my life. I have medical insurance. I am able to travel abroad, and I have hobbies that I enjoy. I have friends both here in New Mexico and in other states, even in other countries. So life, while not perfect, is good.

Friend and mentor Michelle Millis Chappel recently wrote a blog post titled "Why I'm Still Grateful When Life Sucks." Despite life's ups and downs, challenges and losses, we still have things for which to be grateful. Even when there doesn't appear to be a lot for which to be grateful, we need to really think about the things we have. We need to look for the opportunities within the challenges, to recognize that there are many, many people far less blessed than we are. Look for life lessons within the setbacks and disappointments. We need to realize that this is the only life we will get, so we need to make the most of it. And that doesn't mean having all the latest gadgets and toys, the most expensive house or the fanciest car. It does mean recognizing that life, even our mundane, everyday life, is precious. 

So, after you pause to consider your blessings, resolve to make life happen. Do something to bring yourself closer to achieving your dream. Reach out to make a difference in the life of another person or an animal in need. Share your talents with others. Resolve to not give in to the Thanksgrabbing pressure.

Make Thanksgiving a state of mind, not just one day in late November.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Thanksgiving, a holiday that increasingly seems to be overshadowed by Christmas, is just around the corner. I love having a holiday dedicated to being grateful for the blessings we have. But I hate that this holiday is fading into the background. It's a national holiday, and it deserves to be more than just a bump in the road on the way to Black Friday and Christmas.

Unfortunately, retailers seem to be taking Thanksgiving out a step at a time. One of my favorite local radio stations started playing nothing but Christmas music on Nov. 1, far too early to be enjoyable. The mall has had its holiday displays up for weeks already, and grocery stores set up special exhibits of ingredients for traditional holiday foods weeks ago. Two satellite radio stations started playing nothing but Christmas music the middle of November.

Thanksgiving deserves its own day, and I want to enjoy this day on its own merits before being bombarded by commercials touting "the perfect gift." Several large chain stores are planning to get an early start on the Black Friday madness by opening at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. So now Thanksgiving is little more than the kick-off to the Christmas shopping frenzy, when people push and shove, stand in long lines in the cold and darkness, to buy things they don't need with money they don't have.

Thanksgiving needs to be celebrated as intended by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 when he proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving. Americans are in the midst of another difficult year, with very high unemployment, the housing market in a nosedive and the economy struggling. Still, most of us should be able to find something for which we are thankful. And one of those things shouldn't be that we can get a head start on our shopping.

I am thankful that I can take care of myself and my daughter. We are blessed with good health, medical insurance, a nice house and cars, all the clothes we need, plenty of food and luxuries such as cell phones, a big-screen TV and digital cameras.

The least we can do is to help those not as fortunate, by donating food and money, and by giving of our time and talents. So I'm going to do something different this Thanksgiving. I don't plan to prepare a big meal. Instead, I have signed up to work as a server at a Thanksgiving meal prepared by the food pantry where I volunteer each week.

A local McDonald's restaurant, which will be closed on Thanksgiving, donates its restaurant space every year to host a free dinner for anyone who wants to join in -- the homeless, those who cannot afford to prepare a big meal themselves, and those who live alone. So this year, Thanksgiving dinner will be at McDonald's, enjoying food prepared by volunteers at St. Felix Pantry.

I challenge my readers to turn off the television, leave the shopping for a couple of days, and really take time to think about your blessings this year. If you have food on the table, a roof over your head and are able to make ends meet, even if it's a struggle, you have something for which to be thankful. Then, find a cause that moves you: homelessness, hunger, child abuse, animal abuse, the environment, literacy. Get involved, whether it's once a day or once a month. You can make a difference in the life of another, be it human or 4-legged animal. 

The spirit of Thanksgiving should not be limited to just one day or just one time of year. Rather, that spirit should pervade and guide our lives, our thoughts and our actions every day. 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. And thank you for taking time to read my blog today and throughout the year.