Gratitude (of a non-obligatory nature)

Americans stumbling on this black hole will note that yesterday was Thanksgiving, and without going into the political yadda yadda that normally accompanies the discussion of Thanksgiving, I’m going to head for the more new-age view and discuss what I am actually grateful for. I have a long list, really, but what’s ironic is that, here it is Friday, and I’m feeling not at all as at peace as I was yesterday. What’s that about? I’ve gone and fallen into the same trap that I use to accuse Black Friday shoppers. The irony is not lost on me.

I spent the holiday alone. That in itself is a long and exhausting story, so I won’t go into it. All you need to know is that yesterday, for me, was a day of crafting, cooking, and classic Doctor Who (Baker Baker years, y’all). I cooked roast chicken dal, which is actually one of the first recipes I blogged about. I got a lot of headway toward Christmas. I took pictures, but I forgot to send them to my computer, so those will come later.

My friend Bonnie did make a brief appearance here to eat dinner with me before she had to go to work. That was nice.

And I had a lot to be grateful for. I was in the house, so that means I have a roof over my head. I had food, and enough to share. I have a job that pays well, and I’ve gotten out of retail. Despite not being with family, I got to Skype with my folks because I have a nice computer and internet access.

I have an abundance of wonderful things in this life, so I feel a wellspring of gratitude. And even if I look at this morning – I made a batch of brownies to take with me to a gathering, and they didn’t come out the way I liked. I had to remake them. But again…that just means that I had enough flour and cocoa and oil to make two batches of brownies. What the hell do I have to complain about there?

The thing is, yes, there are things I would change about my life right now. Some of them I’m working on and others I can do nothing about. But I have so many things that I am blessed to have, and maybe, instead of just one day to celebrate them, I should quit my damn complaining. Just a thought. I’ll probably forget by tomorrow.

But I am not going Black Friday shopping. Hell no.