Thanks...

 Got an email from LinkedIn asking folks to post something about what they are most thankful for this Thanksgiving 2021. My list is way too long to list here, but thankful I am nonetheless. 

Of course there's a lot to not be thankful about as well and that list in this still-in-the-midst-of-a-pandemic is perhaps equally as long so this year I guess the scales of what to be thankful for and what to not be so thrilled about are about equal. I'm a Charles Dickens fan(atic) and this year reminds me of his opening paragraph to one of my favorite novels (if you don't recognize these remarkable, and timeless words I'll tell you which novel at the end of this post...):

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

Ultimately we are all lucky to  j u s t  be  a l i v e. The Oxford Dictionary defines 'alive' as "living; not dead". "Not dead"... I think that is the worst definition of ALIVE one could possibly come up with. Being alive is so much more than simply being "not dead". Look up synonyms for the word though and you start to get the real sense of what being alive means: 

synonyms of alive...

I look at those around me - friends, families, acquaintances - and its these synonyms that start to flesh out the character of those I have come to know and love in all my years on this tiny blue dot. And it is these characteristics that I find myself still seeking out in those I interact with. Yes, sometimes I'm disappointed but perhaps what I remain most thankful for is that more often than not I find people that are "not dead", but truly "alive" in every sense of the word. As you gather with those most dear this holiday season I hope that is also true for you. 

...On a far less serious topic, my better half gets a bee in her bonnet this time of year to partake in the time-honored tradition of craft making and I find myself pulled into the endeavor. This year she/I/we along with my mother-in-law made plaques representing the changing of the seasons and here's a quick snapshot of our efforts:

Oh, and those words from Mr. Dickens? They're from his novel A Tale of Two Cities. I'm not sure if its still a must read in High School/College English classes but if you're looking for a great classic to curl up with by the fire when the snow (eventually) flies I'd give this one a big thumbs up. 

From me and mine to you and yours, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.