thanksgiving
A raging torrent of rain has passed. The deluge too great for the underlying Carolina red clay now hovers in masses of puddles in all the low lying places from which it could not run off. A glance out the front window of the old farm house gives witness to cardinals, and one woodpecker feasting on the critters finding their way to the top of the soil to avoid the penetrating swale of water coming their way. For some of nature’s own, this weather is a treat whereas for others it brings life risking challenges above which a few may not rise. The proverbial “mixed bag” seems not so mixed for some. Living with the “mixed bag” of chronic disease presents life challenges for which one must learn to accommodate. Medication is one form of accommodation for many. Adjusting to physical limitations and challenges is yet another form of accommodation. An occasional diminution of symptoms which requires less accommodation may be taken for granted since one’s pre-symptomatic life was relatively void of reasons to accommodate. As untoward symptoms re-emerge, it is not uncommon to have them accompanied by various aspects of grief. This semi-professional accommodator to symptoms and grief therewith has grown to understand and appreciate the necessity to exercise routine and consistent thanksgiving for all abilities and levels of accommodation. Gratitude has become that friend whose comfort I would not be caught without. When challenges seem to overwhelm, that friend named gratitude emerges to remind me that all abilities, whether great or small, are gifts and keys that open a plethora of still unused abilities!
The clock showed the time as 5:11am. Searching my mind for the last thing I remembered before dozing off I calculated a decent five and a half hours sleep. Although I desired to go back to sleep my mind was wide awake with the early chores of the day already planned out. Even Gracie, the Golden, was still curled neatly on her bed when I slid on my fuzzy slippers and made my way out from the bedroom. The daily dose of thyroid booster ingested, the world of chores began to open up. As I collected wood, stoked the fire in the old stove, walked the dog, and put on some eggs to boil, I was suddenly struck by the recollection that the day was Thanksgiving. The morning had already been underpinned with my thoughts of thankfulness for family, for friends, for supply of needs, but most importantly, for relationship with the Creator. Although life has not been the “bowl of cherries” I may have desired as a child, neither has it been a disaster that I may have feared. Through the years, joy, sorrow, challenge, disappointment, pain, excitement, and peace (among others) has each been underpinned with gratitude for that relationship that sustains now and forever – the relationship with God. Although Thanksgiving is a designated day in the United States, thanksgiving is more than a holiday; it is a way of life
By: Cathy Garrott
I am very much looking forward to a visit from my brother and his wife … the first time in 33 years that anyone from my family has come to see me in Japan. I’ve tried to take little steps in preparation for their visit, so that I would not be stressed and exhausted by their time in my home. Here it is, 2 days before their arrival and suddenly I am dealing with stiff joints, trouble walking, exhaustion, balance. This sneaked up on me without my realizing it! Is this how it’s going to be? Is this enemy going to control the special time I’ve so been looking forward to for the past several months? I am determined to not allow it to be so!!!
Stress comes in many forms, according to my doctor. There are good things as well as bad things that give us stress. Weddings, graduations, the birth of a baby, visits from loved ones or friends that fill us with joy … each of these can produce as much stress in our body as dealing with the loss of a loved one through sickness, death, divorce, moving, etc. can dump on us. The PD body reacts to stress in many ways, and often it takes us completely by surprise. We can choose how we react and respond to it, even if we cannot control what is happening. I choose joy, thanksgiving, setting aside time to rest a bit throughout the day as needed. They will understand and help me deal with it. I can climb this mountain that looms in front of me with the love, understanding, and encouragement of my loved ones!
The sun shines brightly upon the frozen ground as another day unfolds. Birds flutter from place to place finding sustainable morsels, oblivious to the deep chill. Inside, pets and people alike savor the fragrance of the roasting turkey as they gather together around the warmth of the old cast iron stove. Today is a day of thanksgiving as we pause to remember the gifts of life and love that has been afforded us. The greatest of these gifts is God’s love presented to us in the forms of grace and mercy. The Maker’s mercy saves us from the consequences of our self-centeredness that are truly deserved while His grace covers us with gifts that could never be earned. Living in the place of grace and mercy means making our home in thanksgiving!