Gentry
"Peninsula FYI"
November, 2003 |
A Time for Thanksgiving Being
grateful for the little and big things in life can only make it richer.
Christine VanDeVelde reports.
Every year at Thanksgiving dinner, each of us at the table takes a turn
to talk about the things we are thankful for. And every year, I am
hard-pressed not to note those obvious things which nevertheless loom
large in our lives and should never be taken for granted -- family, good
health, financial security, and peace, at least in our little corner of
the world.
These things are, to some extent, out of our control, subject to chance,
change, and misfortune. But we can expect to enjoy them if we are diligent
and prudent in life. In other words, when we get regular checkups, love
our families well, diversify our investments and generally follow the
adage that no wise man stands behind an ass when he kicks.
One of my favorite writers, newspaper columnist James Lileks, recently
ended his weblog with "Note to self: be grateful more often." This is
excellent advice, but a more difficult practice. We are much slower to
recognize blessings than evils. Don't you recall the SUV that cut you off
outside Robert's Market much more vividly than the person in the station
wagon who cheerfully waved you ahead?
Likewise, the season of Thanksgiving can get lost between the sugar high
of Halloween and the shopping frenzy of Christmas. But, there are, in
fact, many things to be thankful for on any given day, if you'd just stop
to think about them.
I am always thankful for things that make life easier. Personal computers.
Shout stain remover. Target. Google. Dr. Atkins Nacho Cheese Crunchers,
now available at Albertson's. Books on tape. Label makers. Small
committees and short meetings. Amazon.com. The Clorox bleach pen. The
terrific teachers at my child's school. The Whole Foods salad bar. School
uniforms. Gift cards. Moisturizers that have sunscreen. Children who do
their own laundry.
I am often grateful for things that make me feel as if I live in a small
town. Shopkeepers who know my name, like John Celedon at Preuss Pharmacy.
Christmas Tree Lane and Candy Cane Lane. The Linden Tree Bookstore. Terri
Tiffany's tuna sandwiches. Having a chat with the guys behind the counter
at Mac's Smoke Shop on Thursdays when the new magazines arrive. A booth
and a grilled cheese sandwich at Ann's Coffee Shop.
There is a whole list of guilty pleasures for which I'm thankful. On TV
this season, it's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and The O.C.
Carolyne slingbacks from Manolo Blahnik. Birthday cake from Gerry's.
People magazine. Botox. Simon Pearce glassware. Engraved stationery.
LaPerla lingerie. Draeger's spinach dip, which you cannot have if you're
indulging in the LaPerla lingerie.
And I try always to give thanks for the fact that the best things in life
are free or nearly so. The fog that rolls over the western hills in the
late afternoon never fails to remind me of the extraordinary environment
we live in here. Frog Hollow Farm peaches. Roses that bloom almost all the
way through to December. Children who value authenticity over appearances.
The Rodin Sculpture Garden. Friends who come to your aid when you need
them. A hike up Windy Hill. People who volunteer to do clean-up after
events. A good joke.
But, if there is one thing I am grateful for every day, it is the power
and pleasure of words. On the fourth Thursday of November, be grateful
with these words from Episcopal Bishop Phillips Brooks, "Stand up, on this
Thanksgiving Day, stand upon your feet. Believe in man. Soberly and with
clear eyes, believe in your own time and place. There is not, and there
never has been a better time, or a better place to live in." Happy
Thanksgiving… |
