Gratitude

 

This photo is from a previous year, but I love how 'lit' the tree looks in the late afternoon sunshine.  A perfect example of autumn in all its glory.

So, today it is Thanksgiving Day.  We don't have any immediate family left, it's just the two of us and frankly for 40+ years Thanksgiving Day was just one more day to scramble to get ready for the upcoming holiday craft fair season.  My mom used to insist we stop for a meal together, but otherwise, it's never really been 'observed' in this household.  Now I'm just too old to bother and with just the two of us, who needs a big bird anyway?  Plus this year turkeys are in short supply due to avian bird flu.  So we, once again, didn't bother.

That doesn't mean we aren't aware of the day, or the sentiment.  

To show gratitude.  To be thankful for what we have.  Even when we had little, we managed to scrape enough to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table.  And that was enough.  Because we knew that others didn't have even that much.

We are in a 'better' place now.  We both have our (meager) state pensions, our house is paid off as are our vehicles, and we don't carry any debt.  We worked hard (bloody hard) to get to this state at this point in our lives, and we are grateful beyond words that we are house and food secure.

We even have a bit 'extra' so during covid we began donating funds to people and organizations - a bit here and there.  We choose to donate directly, as much as possible.  When we need to donate to an organization, we choose ones that we know are doing effective work.  When we have become aware of an individual who needed a bit of a hand, we have donated directly to that person.

We were both raised Christian and we both believe that when you have 'enough' build a bigger table, not a wall. WWJD?  We try to do that.  Neither of us goes to church.  We live our values, every day.

That doesn't mean I'm 'perfect'.  Far from it.  I'm human.  And I make mistakes.  I'm still learning about all the ways our society has hurt others and while I will never, *can* never atone for that harm, I can be aware of it and try to mitigate any harm that I might do given my position in this society - a white woman in a land that was colonized and did great harm to the original peoples of this land.

We go to the polls on Oct. 15 for municipal elections.  I will be carefully going over the information the candidates have put out, looking for alt right dog whistles.  Unfortunately there are plenty.  The alt right currently is in the minority in the population of Canada, but they are poised to take over positions of power and influence in our governance.

So part of my gratitude is for the people who have tried to be fair, to serve all the people, and do my best to elect more people with that attitude and none with an alt right bent.

Life is not perfect.  But it is less perfect for people in Canada who are not white.  As the saying goes, rights are not pie.  Making sure all have rights does not mean less for me.

Gratitude is not keeping all the privilege for myself.  Gratitude is working to make sure all people have rights.  Light a candle.  Build a bigger table.  Offer a hand up to others struggling.  

Sending love and light to all on this day of culturally observed gratitude.