Grace, Gratitude and Chaos

It’s no secret that we don’t have a Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving at our house. With four dogs in the mix, including a large puppy, this year was no different. Yet, with the recent devastation in California, chaos and laughter were a welcome relief, even if most of the laughter was inappropriate and mine.

We were sitting at the dining room table when Samantha, my nine year old granddaughter, asked if each of us would share what we were grateful for. It started out beautifully but then it was my turn. I lost it. I’m not good when put on the spot.

ELBEE I think we can safely assume that grandma of the year is off the table.

Some people cry. A few of my closest friends (you know who you are Elaine and Elliott) and I laugh. It’s a great emotional release.

The next day, as I started writing about the things I was thankful for I was having trouble finding the words. I suddenly realized that with the enormity of recent events, I didn’t want to pay lip service to gratitude. I’d seen all of the news about the mass shootings and the wildfires but was at a comfortable distance.

At the spur of the moment, I put Stanley in the car and drove to some of the affected areas. At first I was selfishly relieved to see that a few of my favorite hiking trails were safe. Then I reached some of the hardest hit places and, whether or not it was my imagination, thought I could sense the lingering smell of smoke.

The Santa Monica mountains were blackened. I passed the remains of houses that had been leveled. I also saw how close the flames had come to homes that had been spared. As I drove on, I was completely overwhelmed by the size of the area that had been affected and by the almost incomprehensible level of destruction. It made me realize how important it is to focus on the positives and to express gratitude.

Thank you to the brave first responders and to the countless heroes who risked their lives to save others. Thank you to all of the people who set aside their differences simply to help each other. Your human kindness inspires me.

Thank you to the friends who introduced me to hiking so many years ago. The mountains are my spiritual place. They’re my refuge. I will never take them for granted. I am still in awe of the hawks and ravens soaring effortlessly on the wind drafts.

Thank you to my big hearted, funny Doods who enable me to have the joy and privilege of being a therapy dog handler. To all of the people in the hospital who’ve smiled and said, “you’ve made my day,” when smiling was the last thing they felt like doing, you’ve made our day.

Above all, thank you to my wonderful, crazy loving family. You are my joy, my strength and fodder for my blog.  A special note of appreciation to Samantha for reminding me of the importance of expressing gratitude.