On Being Thankful

It has been a VERY, VERY, VVVVEEERRRRYYYYY long time since I have written anything on this little blog spot of mine.  I have a myriad of excuses, which I will not bore you with at this juncture. As it is, I am being harassed by two orange cats, making the typing of this musing extremely difficult. Have you heard of Orange Cat Energy? Everything they say about Orange Cat Energy is so very accurate! But I digress...

I begin this blog this morning after wrestling with a still-frozen turkey 🙄, chopping an onion to the point of tears, shoving fresh herbs under the skin of the aforementioned turkey, all the while recalling Thanksgivings past.  

It was with a slight bit of discouragement that I woke up this morning and tackled the start of Thanksgiving Day meal preparations, because I hadn't done enough to get ready for today. I could have made the yeast rolls last night. I should have julienned the carrots before bed. My house is serviceably clean, but I should have gotten off the La-Z-Boy last night and cleaned it in anticipation of my mom and sister's arrival this afternoon. 

Then, I looked around my kitchen and dining area. Scanning this portion of my home, the coziness of the area (if not a bit cluttered with "projects"), and I was struck with so much gratitude. This time of year should serve to remind us, hopefully, of all the blessings we have been given over the year. I think this year, especially, I am so very grateful for the roof over my head as well as the old, well-loved, hand-me-down furniture I get to sit in each day. Our city of Frankfort was witness to a devastating flood this Spring, and there are many in our community who are STILL not back in their homes, or who have given up entirely and moved to higher ground (both figuratively and literally). 

This has been a year of financial insecurity for so many, more so than any year that I can remember. So many of our neighbors are facing a slim, anemic holiday season. While my grocery money doesn't go nearly as far as it used to, I am so very thankful that I have a job that provides me with the ability to feed my family this Thanksgiving. 

The year 2025 sprang a surprise on me with the necessity of a knee replacement, something that, if you'd asked me back in January, I wouldn't have been able to anticipate. I had to take eight weeks off from school, something I have NEVER done in my professional career. I will tell you this: as per usual, God knew I needed to step away and recover not just physically, but mentally and spiritually. The time off was a great way for me to reset my mindset. I came back to work with a renewed sense of what I know in the very fibers of my being to be good teaching. I was able to silence the outside noise of what others believe to be the best practices and once again find what I intuitively know is best for my students. In the end, I found my joy again.

As I powered through my neighborhood Kroger yesterday morning, the fact that I could do so without ANY pain whatsoever was not lost on me.  I have lived with chronic pain for so much of my 40s and early 50s; my pain-free days these days are just short of a miracle. I have so much gratitude for the expertise and talent of my orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Huff, and his amazing PA, Lori Rangle. Those two have given me my life back. 

I have been back to work for an entire week and a half, and I have had to remind myself that, despite it being just shy of ten weeks since my surgery, I am STILL healing. So, exhaustion is to be expected. With that exhaustion comes the necessity to temper expectations for this holiday season. 

So, the fact that my floors haven't been vacuumed in a good week or that my furniture hasn't been dusted in as many days, really isn't of importance.  When I recall Thanksgivings and Christmases past, I do not recall whether there was dust on my grandmother's coffee table or whether there were vacuum lines in my mother's carpets, or if there were cobwebs in the corners of my aunt's living room. No, what I recall is the love I felt from my family, the security of being with loved ones, the memories wrapped up in beloved family recipes and traditions. What I have also had to remind myself is that it is a joy to be able to celebrate with those I love most, and that whatever state my house is in, they, hopefully, are just as grateful to be celebrating with me. What I have to remind myself is that we are creating new memories, and those memories are not concerned with spotless homes. 

As we begin what will likely be a holiday season that moves at a breakneck pace, I hope we can all take some time to step back, soak in the special moments, and remind ourselves what is actually important ... focusing our minds and hearts on being thankful.