thank·ful
ˈTHaNGkfəl/
adjective
pleased and relieved.
"they were thankful that the war was finally over"
synonyms:
grateful, appreciative, filled with gratitude, relieved
"she was thankful that the evening was over"
expressing gratitude and relief.
"an earnest and thankful prayer"
synonyms:
grateful, appreciative, filled with gratitude, relieved
"she was thankful that the evening was over”
Tis the season for giving thanks, relieved and appreciative we survived another year. Survived... Hmm...maybe that's a bleak way of looking at it. A life merely survived, for some of us, seems like we may just be doing the minimum to scoot by, unscathed by bad luck, bad fortune and negative consequences. For others, surviving another year is BIG. It means another year under our belts. 365 days lived.
sur·vive
sərˈvīv/
verb
continue to live or exist, especially in spite of danger or hardship.
"against all odds the child survived"
synonyms:
remain alive, live, sustain oneself, pull through, get through, hold on/out,make it, keep body and soul together More
My news feed has been flooded with reminders of mortality. A friend's brother accepting his fate with a brain-eating tumor, another friend's sister losing her almost full term baby in utero, pictures of grandparents passed. All surrounded by a world of people who are surviving. I venture to say that, in these mundane moments of survival, the magical happens.
We THRIVE.
thrive
THrīv/
verb
(of a child, animal, or plant) grow or develop well or vigorously.
"the new baby thrived"
New experiences and adventures were lived. New friendships were forged. Daily routines were tweaked, and old relationship evolved. We didn't just merely continue to exist, we FLOURISHED!!!!
How do I know this?? By watching.
All you have to do is look around. I fall into the category of belief that all humans are born good and, very fortunately for society, most of us stay that way. We have bumps and hiccups along they way and, of course, good people can perform bad actions. However, if you take a deeper look at your world- at your UPS driver who brings a new amazon package to your doorstep every other day with a smile, at the hug you give a friend you haven't seen for months, or at the mom in target dollar section striking up a conversation with you over Christmas shopping- you can see goodness is everywhere.
This flourishing is happening Every. Single. Day. All over our worlds.
Is it surrounded but a bunch of icky stuff too? You bet. Strife, loss, death, negativity, cynicism. That's everywhere too.
BUT....
And that's a big but...
I am THANKFUL that GOOD IS WINNING.
Even in fricken tough times, it is bright. It's brighter and louder than the dark if you ALLOW it to be. It is this goodness that we need to grab onto and protect. We need to live in it's light in order to thrive.
I'm thankful for the compassion, and love and strength that help us do that.
I'm thankful that we live in a world of social media and technology that allows me to see a glimpse into the lives of others. You all are doing some cool things and I'm happy I get to see it and, in a strange way, participate in it.
I'm thankful that I am on a journey that I LOVE, with people I LOVE, doing the things I LOVE.
I'm thankful for surviving AND thriving this year. I'm thankful I get to do it all again next year, because, just living life, however big or small you think it is, is something special.
So you should be thankful too.
Oh...And do something good today...because someone could really be needing the light you have to shine.
