Be thankful anyway

Mel Makaw.

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and may be here by the time you read this, signaling a time of reflection and gratitude for all the many blessings we have in our lives.

That may seem a little more difficult this year, especially considering the big picture, what with the United States still being so divided and all of us facing a rather unchartered and uncertain future. Things will get better, as some folks say, or they'll get worse as others say, but the thing about life is (as most of us can say): it goes on.

Fortunately, even as I am sometimes given to bouts of the blues and/or a draining depression, conversely, I also seem to be predisposed to be optimistic to the point of Pollyannaism. The Glad Game (Pollyanna's answer to hard times, you can look it up if you're unfamiliar) and a Feeling of Gratitude are and have been a part of my makeup for as long as I can remember.

I like looking at and finding the bright side in my personal life, even when it is a not-so-easy thing to do. It always makes me feel better, and I try to make it my default position no matter what may be going on around me. And while my default position may have been sorely challenged lately, I'm glad to say I've also found that the positive feelings are still there rolling around in my brain.

I believe that in spite of all the unease and uncertainty that surrounds us daily, there is always something to be thankful for. And I think remembering to be grateful for or happy with what we have is worth making the effort.

So today I'm offering some things for which I am glad about and grateful for, hoping that you too might find more reasons to be thankful than to be worried or disillusioned, or sad or discouraged.

I have a roof over my head and a warm place to rest it, a working automobile, and food in the fridge. I have clothes that fit me, and a phone to keep in touch with those I care about.

I'm especially thankful for the many relationships I have, from loved ones and friends both old and new, to occasional acquaintances (and even those familiar faces I don't have names for but that I see around town all the time and to whom I always give and get a smile and a cherry hello-how-you-doing-have a great day!).

I'm grateful for the fact that I can read and do crafty things, that I can write letters and books and poems and essays. In fact, I seem to be making more time these days for my creative efforts and I'm especially thankful for that. I'm making more time to read fun fiction, too, and luckily there's plenty of it out there (I can even find it free from the library!). And I'm making more time to appreciate other people's artistic efforts – there is so much beauty, both natural and handmade, in our world.

Music and dancing are also things to be grateful for, and I am. Whether I'm just listening to some favorite music in the car or making my own, or dancing in the living room to someone else's tune, it's hard to stay too down-in-the-mouth when music is in the air. Music can be a great healer and can provide a great emotional release.

I'm glad that with all the ugliness we hear about in the news these days, we also hear about great acts of selflessness and kindness by people toward other human beings (and animals), too. Kindness doesn't have to disappear when things get rough; in fact, just the opposite is true: when things look dark and dreary, kindness is more important than ever.

I could go on and on listing things to be glad about and thankful for, but I think the list can be summed up with the notions of kindness and love, humor and laughter, creativity and imagination, and encouragement and acknowledgement – all of these things are possible even in the worst of times, and all of them are available if we choose them over discouragement and despair (whether in the big picture or the little one).

I do believe that while things may cause us concern or outright distress at any given time, there is always something to be thankful for anyway.

I like this thought and use it to remind myself daily (not just this season) to live in gratitude: You may not be able to get everything you want, but you can always be thankful for and appreciate everything you have.

© 2024 Mel Makaw. Mel, local writer/photographer and author of On the Bright Side, a collection of columns (available at Tehachapi Arts Center) has been looking on the bright side (and finding much gratitude to write about) for various publications since 1996. She welcomes your comments at [email protected].