With the passing of the Thanksgiving holiday I cannot help but reflect on the recent months past. Our departure from Okinawa and reemergence in the states has been a mixed bag. Exciting, overwhelming, difficult, heartbreaking, elating, a myriad of high and low emotions with just as many valleys as peaks. Despite the lulls there are so many high points, so many blessings, and so much to be thankful for.
We have a lovely and comfortable home. The girls have space, real space. They have their own rooms and even a play room. The backyard is expansive and ideal, with the exception of the mosquitoes. We have Lucky and Mika back and our family feels whole again in that regard. We have people in active roles in our lives that we've missed for so long and it almost seems surreal to be so close again. We have loved ones who've pulled away from us. With the sweet has certainly come the sour.
But a thought comes to mind, one that had occurred to me some time ago and I had the opportunity to share with some close friends in Oki during one of our times of support and fellowship. If it were not for the darkness of the evening the morning dawn would have no value. We cherish our victories so much more when we've tasted defeat; We cannot truly appreciate the beauty of the view on the summit until you've pulled yourself up from the bottom of the gully.
I find myself thinking time and time again that circumstance are just circumstance. Always changing, never truly constant, and cannot be a measuring stick of our happiness. More than ever I need to roll with the punches and take pleasure in the smallest of things and celebrate the everyday joy. I think we all need to do this. Maybe it's because hard times are upon us or that I feel that are coming, but in my bones I have a desire to get back to the basics, to let those things which truly don't matter to slide.
So what am I thankful for? Well here goes.....
I am thankful for every blow I've received, every kick in the pants, and every obstacle placed in my path. I'm thankful for them because they have made me who I am today and fashioned me to be stronger. I'm thankful for everything we have and everything we don't. I'm thankful for the things God has placed in my charge to handle and more so thankful for the things he's taken off of me to handle himself. I'm thankful for my family that stick by no matter what is happening or how complicated things get. I'm thankful for my children who are far from perfect but who are my "iron sharpening iron" and all the things they have taught me. I'm thankful for a husband who doesn't cheapen himself with the values of the world, who doesn't follow after the ascribed male mentality, and who carries us on his back no matter how heavy the burdens. I'm very lucky to be married to someone who can be so selfless and caring.
I'm thankful for the friends I have, all of you scattered across the globe. I miss you all so much. I'm thankful for the solitude and isolation I have to endure now as I know there are lessons I'm learning. I'm also thankful for the people checking out.... we're better without you, your drama, and your negativity anyway.
I'm thankful that we have everything we need. Sometimes not quite as much as we need, but always enough to get by.
I'm thankful for the opportunity to make a difference, in the smallest measure, in lives, in the community, and elsewhere. And I'm thankful for the blessing of being reminded that one person can make a difference and that even the smallest action can have a big impact.
And finally, I'm thankful for redemption, pardon, and absolution, that I'm not "on the hook" for all my mistakes. I'm thankful there is forgiveness in this world and that I'm on the receiving end of that.
So to all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! Grab your blessings and hug them close. It takes but a heartbeat for them to be gone from you.
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