A couple of thoughts about this particular Thanksgiving in Italy... we missed spending time with our family of friends in Seattle and couldn't sit down to a big dinner with our neighbors here in our tiny apartment. We were, however, so happy to know that all of you were safe and sound and had not been traveling to Mumbai, India. It is so difficult to celebrate a holiday when you know, across the world, so many are having the worst day of their lives. We also know that for many, including us, holidays are also a time when we feel our most personal losses so acutely.
But life comes with the bad and the good, tragedy and joy... no one gets away with only joy- and if they did, they may not recognize how truly fortunate they are having not experienced the other side.
For example, the day before yesterday, my personal Sherpa trudged a mile and a half round trip to buy us a turkey that I had mentioned I would miss. Little did I know that she also planned to buy up half the store and then carry it all back. (I had offered to go but she loudly refused my company- both she, my mother, and my daughter, for some reason, all have this in common. I can't help it if I whine when they take longer than 5 minutes in a grocery store...). Yesterday, despite the aching knee she incurred from her heavily laden trek and having to improvise all along the way because she lacked certain ingredients here as well as the desired pots and pans, Rachel still managed to make an incredibly wonderful Thanksgiving feast. A relatively small joy in the big scheme of things but something of a small miracle to me.
So remember to savor the small things when the world seems to be going to hell in a hand basket. All of it counts.
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