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Blog 475 – 11.24.2016

Always Much More To Be Thankful For

I reminded someone the other day who was having trouble getting to sleep at night of one of the best methods I have ever found. It is a little song to remind you how to have the sweetest dreams in no time at all. It goes like this, “When I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep. And I fall asleep counting my blessings.” If you’d like to hear Bing Crosby or Rosemary Clooney sing it to you just Google the lyrics and click play.

I am convinced that whatever burdens we have, or troubles that come to us that there is always more to be grateful or thankful for than the current trial. There was a typing exercises we typed over and over in eighth grade typing class to try to improve our skill and speed on a typewriter. It really exercised your fingers and reached all the letters at least on the keyboard. Today we type with our thumbs on Smartphones or Tablets. That piece was, “These are the times that try men’s souls. Every brave man should come to the aid of his country.” Many of us are hoping that the brave people we just elected will do that putting their particular interests aside to pursue the greater good. It could happen. That oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States Of Americia ought to be a sobering thought. You were elected to serve the people, not yourself, your party, big money or special interests. As Atticus Finch in the movie To Kill A Mockingbird charged the jury, “Do your duty.”

Those who have read the book or seen the movie know that sadly they did not but perpetuated prejudice and lies. It is time for a bit of comic relief in all this seriousness. The Atticus Finch quote is also good to use when potty training. Just sit the child on the potty seat and in your best Gregory Peck imitation say, “Do your duty.” Then be sure to smile approvingly.

Potty training is not the first or worst trial one encounters in life. But all are learning opportunities and maintaining an attutude of gratitude takes us a long way in helping us to get the most out of each lesson. One of the hardest lessons in life is the lost of a child. My daughter Emily Elaine White died quite suddenly at aged thirty-two, four years ago.

When I share this with people I meet they don’t know what to say and even long time friends usually say things like, “You must really miss her.” I usually just smile and say “Thank you” and try to make them feel less uncomfortable. When what I really want to say is, “Miss her, no way, how could I miss her when my heart and mind are so full of her. I see her all the time in the smiling faces of people I see. Everything beautiful, bright, and loving reminds me of her. And honestly I have so much of her in my life that I want to share her with others. Lack and loss is the lie. We always have so much more to be thankful for than to complain about. On this day we set aside to be grateful/thankful for the abundance in our lives let each and everyone of us determine to catch ourself the next time we slip into “Why me, or oh poor me mode” and remember how rich we truly are and that in the words of the writer, “All things are ours to enjoy.”

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White