Monday This and That

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. John Fitzgerald Kennedy

My goodness, is it that time already?  Have the holidays really ended.?  Perhaps I shouldn't have kept myself so busy. Should have spent some time watching the clock so that it slowed down.  I discovered several years ago that busyness  speeds up time whereas it seems to crawl when one is idle. Hence, when I really want to slow it down, I'll sit and stare at the timer on the cable box.  One minute can take an eternity.  

I had a fantastic Thanksgiving with my sons and my hubby. Family time is so important to me. The meal was delicious and no one seemed to mind an over-abundance of veggies...or that the mashed potatoes were made only with no salt butter and garlic.  This year there were no pies and cakes, and no one seemed to mind that either. We munched on grapes and clementines instead. 

One family tradition that crops up every Thanksgiving has to do with the cranberry sauce.  I always forget it.  Usually, it remains in the refrigerator when the food is served, and I only discover it when I am putting the food away.  This year I totally forgot to buy it so had my son stop at the store on the way over and buy some, and this year I DID remember to put it out with the dinner.  What I DIDN'T remember was to put it on my plate. Again, I didn't remember it until I was putting the food away. Since I am the 'only' one who eats it and 'insists' every year that I have it, everyone gets a big laugh out of that. Like I said, it has become quite the family tradition.

Another tradition is boiling the liver for Miss Minga.  Oh, how she loves turkey day.  I can cook year round without her 'carrying on' in the kitchen, but come Thanksgiving she drives me crazy with her crying and following at my heels.  She knows that smell of turkey roasting in the oven.  Well, after 20 years, I shouldn't expect anything different.  There was a time in the afternoon when we all became a bit melancholy and my eldest and I had tears in our eyes as it hit us that this could possibly be her last Thanksgiving, and we spent the evening making it extra special for her.  And at that, I'm going to drop the subject because I feel the tears beginning to well.

On Friday morning I turned on the news, and the first thing I saw was this young man on the news proudly showing off the new sneakers he got for $175 because he sat outside for 17 hours to wait for the sale.  It really sickened me to see such materialism. There are many in the city who lost everything and survived only with the clothes on their backs, yet all this young man could think about was 'his' sneakers. My gosh, young man, time is short, and none of us know what tomorrow will bring.  Is a pair of shoes really so important that you would miss the opportunity for some quality time with family, friends, or other loved ones?  And, if you had no one to spend the day with, what is so wrong about volunteering to help serve the poor and the homeless?

My son had called me early in the day and asked if I could please 'prepare myself to take a picture with he and my youngest'.  Now, what he meant was that there was a time that I'd always dress up for the holidays, even bought a new outfit if needed.  But, as time passed, and I grew older, dressing up no longer interested me, and so, after spending the morning over the stove, I'd shower and put a nice pair of my flannels on.  Comfort, not beauty, became the name of the game.  I know many of you are probably shaking your heads, but I wasn't going anywhere, so why not?

Hence, I, who hate having my picture taken, had a built-in reply when he'd want a picture. "Not in my jammies".  But during this past year I have come to realize that nothing is forever, and if mom getting dressed and having a picture taken with both of her sons would make him happy, then so be it. So, I put on a pair of slacks, a nice top, put on a little lipstick, and fixed my hair...and I took that picture with my sons which, by the way, is now plastered on his Facebook page, something I am not too happy about, but what the heck. None of us know what tomorrow will bring. 

Whatever our individual troubles and challenges may be, it’s important to pause every now and then to appreciate all that we have, on every level. We need to literally “count our blessings,” give thanks for them, allow ourselves to enjoy them, and relish the experience of prosperity we already have. Shakti Gawain