Every year in November, I try to enumerate the things I am thankful for. This year I thought I wanted to do three a day and now am so woefully behind, I will never really catch up unless I change the way I approach the "lesson" My original intent was to list the three things and talk about them. I have decided the list ONE thing and talk at length about it. Two things MAY appear, maybe even three, but I am giving myself permission to focus on one thing. It's hard for me to do that, as I am a multitasker.
Without trying to be trite, I am thankful for the friends that I have. My friends are my "tribe" my family without blood ties. I have been truly blessed in life with stalwart friends who have had my back, even when I am sure I was a difficult person to live with. I am grateful. I will never forget what my friends did for me during my most troubled times, how they rallied me, made me laugh or just hugged me. My friends remind me that life is not always a storm, as it has been lately. They are my sounding board, my joy, my respite. They also know when to bring me up short when I am being ridiculous. I appreciate that too. I love "talking" to my friends online every day. I'm on Facebook probably more than I should be ( my house suffers from my lack of attention to it sometimes)
I am trying to get back more consistently into the craft of writing; not just this blog but dipping my toes back into poetry, which I used to enjoy writing. My work was what I considered to be minimalist, and I would try to say what I wanted without being too wordy and to select exactly the right single word to convey a thought or emotion. I need to get back to doing that again. Watch this space!
Do not worry that your house may suffer from lack of attention. As Jesus said, "The poor are always with us." Just substitute the word "housework" for that. So, housework is always with us, but friends may not be. Besides, what is more fun and enriching? (Hint, NOT dusting or scrubbing!) I USED to (and the USED to is deliberate) who would have Pauline adn me over for Christmas - but as soon as dinner was over, and in fact, sometimes, before dinner was quite done (Pauline still had her fork in mid air once) off to the kitchen. The record for sitting in the COLD living room was over an hour one Christmas - because after all the dishes, he wanted to mop the floors. Needless to say, we decided to leave and go to MY house, which was probably a MESS, but heated, and we could sit in front of the fireplace and drink champagne and have fun. So, to make a long story longer, I vote for friends over housework any old time! Until the health department comes a-knockin', you're fine! AND having more fun! Tom
ReplyDeleteP.S. As someone who has almost NO family, friends are the gold in my life!
Another comment on gratitude and that is today especially, but really, all the time, I think of our men and women in all the services, and am grateful for what you all do and have done! My father was a WWII Army Vet, with a Purple Heart, I came to find out, but he refused to ever tell me anything, except the funny stories (how he ever got a good conduct medal, I have no idea!) and for the rest of his life, he refused to ever watch war-themed movies or television shows (except he did watch part of the Deer Hunter on tv, and said it didn't' even begin to depict....) so I can only imagine how the war was...............well, no, I can't imagine. Anyway, thanks out there - you are NOT forgotten or dismissed! Tom
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