Thanksgiving

I got up early and drove west for four hours to reach my parents' home on this foggy Thanksgiving. The trip was an easy one, with the only intrigue being mild concern over what may be a leaky tire and my boredom emerging about halfway into the drive. I'm thankful that that was what passed for drama, and I'm thankful that it was time to eat within a half hour of when I pulled into the driveway.

This Thanksgiving I feel like I should be extra grateful even though, or because, it has been a tough year. Sure, I can gripe about the car accident and the lingering injury or the workplace drama, but at least from how things appear, it's all worked out in the end. The accident may have freed me from a car that had the potential for being a money pit. The whiplash that seemed like it wouldn't go away ultimately led me to realize that I ought to get some other health issues checked out, which proved to be nothing serious. I'm certainly not thankful for the hell of the uncertainty around work, but that trying time may lead to some answers that have been needed there for awhile. Whatever the case, I still have a job, and it doesn't look like it's in the imminent danger that it seemed like it might be in for a month or two.

So I'm thankful I've survived what has felt like a difficult year, and I'm thankful for the bright spots in it that I surely can't ignore. I reconnected with an old friend, enjoyed a week-long, out-of-state family vacation, received a new nephew, saw a lot of great live music, attended baseball games in four cities with my dad, went to my first Reds playoff game, traveled to places I wouldn't have expected visiting when the year started, and learned some new technology that has made my job easier.

I'm thankful for my health, even if I've felt less than 100% for most of the year. I could have been in much worse shape after that car accident than I was. I'm thankful for the security in my life, perhaps even moreso after reasonably believing for a bit that it was threatened. I'm thankful that for as beat up as I feel I've been, I'm still in a relatively good situation. I can dwell on what I'm dissatisfied with or wallow in my unhappiness, but all in all, I'm fortunate to have what I have. I'm thankful that I'm able to see that.