THANKSGIVING

                                               

 I wanted to write something special for Thanksgiving this year and for a few brief moments the sarcastic part of my meandering mind spoke up and said, “What is it you want to write about Mike that happened this year? Do you want to write about the death of your wife, or your dog dying, or the day you fell in the woods and a stick went into your eye and you ended up in urgent care? Maybe you could write about your son losing his business and his home or your friends who are suffering with illness. Maybe you should just skip Thanksgiving this year and keep your big mouth shut.” Then I stopped and looked around me and realized that there are two sides to every story and it’s up to you to pick the one you want to tell and the sarcastic one--- well it really does no one any good at all.

When my wife found out that she was not going to survive her illness I remembered her looking up at me from her hospital bed and saying to me. “We had forty nine good years together.” Actually if you count the ones before we got married it was more like fifty-one. At the time that was little comfort to me but now looking back I see what she was trying to tell me. So many people lose their spouses long before that. I read the paper and it happens everyday. We spent the best years of our life together in love, peace and harmony for half a century.

My dog lived to be fourteen and died at my feet. He could have been run over when he was five or died in some vets office on a stainless tabletop. He lived longer then most Labradors live and in good health for the most part. The stick that I fell on and went in my eye was blunt so all it did was bruise my eye. It could have been sharp and I would be wearing a patch today like old Blackbeard the pirate. My son is starting over in a different home with his family-- and yes---I do have a wonderful son with a great family. That in itself is reason to rejoice.

Two of my friends-- one with breast cancer and one with leukemia are in remission. Home with their family’s and loved ones this Thanksgiving. I have a great home with enough money to pay my bills and still have a few coins left in my pocket. My health is good and somewhere upstairs in my house there is shopping bag full of cards from my wife’s funeral and each one of them represents to me someone who cared about both of us and took the time to tell me that. Yes my friends and readers despite all that has happened I have been blessed and my cup truly runneth over. I challenge you to look at your life with an optimistic eye and to truly give thanks this holiday, for all of the good that has come into your life. To those of you who are far less fortunate and are sick, hungry, or lonely on this day. I sincerely hope that things change for you and next year you too will feel truly blessed. In the meantime God bless us all and happy Thanksgiving

    Mike Holst