1000 Words Prompt #22

Happy Thanksgiving!

From here

I have had a lot of crap happen in my life and I am finally learning to deal with it and put it behind me, but I have not done it alone. And so, for this week’s 1000 Words Meme, I have decided to talk about the things that I am thankful for.

(1) My husband. I have had too many boyfriend’s but I have never understood true love- true compassion- and true acceptance until I have met him. We have been through so much together- good and bad- and no matter what happens, I know that he will always be there to celebrate, mourn, and learn together.

(2) My daughter. When I look at her I see the best that life has to offer. I know that she is a gift from the universe sent to help me understand that it gives back in ways that command hope and love. Mimi has completed our family and has given me a whole new outlook on life.

(3) My In-laws. Despite our sometimes rocky relationship, my in-laws have become the family that I longed for all my life. They have loved me unconditionally and have supported not just my relationship with their son, but me as a person. They have filled a void left by the death of my father and the coldness of my mother and I cherish them so much.

(4) The Disney Fab Nine. We meet for the first time online and then for at Disney and are now bonded. In the short time the I have known the fabulous nine, I have learned that when things get bad there are people who will pick you up and give you the support that you need to make it through the next minute. I have learned the no matter how alone we may feel in life, some one understands (Thank you Tanyetta and Yolanda). I learned that when you think that no one notices that you are a good person, there will be someone who will tell the world (Thank you Felicia). I have realized that life does not have to be as complicated as I make it (right Renee?) and that there is so much more than what others see (Thank you Michelle). I have learned that it’s OK to slow down and take a different path (JusticeJonesie- you are amazing) and that it’s also OK to take the world by storm (man you two energize me- Kim and Jennifer). And finally, I learned that when life gives you lemons, write about it and don’t hold back- and oh, my love of reading is nothing to be ashamed about (Mel, you inspire me to accept myself).

(5) True Friendship. Although she is living in another country now, Lorri is one the best people in the world. Her knack for getting it and trying to explain it to others makes me feel less isolated and odd. I don;t normally get along with women, but she is unlike most women I have ever met. Her compassion has given me faith in people.

(6) Maria Bailey. If you have not met her, please go introduce yourself. This savvy lady is pushing moms into the forefront of marketing and public relations. Maria is so dedicated to giving moms a voice that I would be surprised if we don;t see her on the cover of Forbes soon. In addition, she is a very cool person. Her sense of humor is refreshing and she definitely knows how to make dinner conversation delightful.

(7) Taking Risks. I decided to leave my full-time job and try my hand at web and print design. I am not doing too badly and am glad that i get to share some very valuable time with my daughter.

(8) Democratic victory. I am so happy that President-Elect Barack Obama won and that my country actually stepped up to the challenge. I am so happy to be alive for this change.

And finally, I wanted to share a poem that I love:

Thanksgiving Letter from Harry
by Carl Dennis

I guess I have to begin by admitting
I’m thankful today I don’t reside in a country
My country has chosen to liberate,
That Bridgeport’s my home, not Baghdad.
Thankful my chances are good, when I leave
For the Super Duper, that I’ll be returning.
And I’m thankful my TV set is still broken.
No point in wasting energy feeling shame
For the havoc inflicted on others in my name
When I need all the strength I can muster
To teach my eighth-grade class in the low-rent district.
There, at least, I don’t feel powerless.
There my choices can make some difference.

This month I’d like to believe I’ve widened
My students’ choice of vocation, though the odds
My history lessons on working the land
Will inspire any of them to farm
Are almost as small as the odds
One will become a monk or nun
Trained in the Buddhist practice
We studied last month in the unit on India.
The point is to get them suspecting the world
They know first hand isn’t the only world.

As for the calling of soldier, if it comes up in class,
It’s not because I feel obliged to include it,
As you, as a writer, may feel obliged.
A student may happen to introduce it,
As a girl did yesterday when she read her essay
About her older brother, Ramon,
Listed as “missing in action” three years ago,
And about her dad, who won’t agree with her mom
And the social worker on how small the odds are
That Ramon’s alive, a prisoner in the mountains.

I didn’t allow the discussion that followed
More time than I allowed for the other essays.
And I wouldn’t take sides: not with the group
That thought the father, having grieved enough,
Ought to move on to the life still left him;
Not with the group that was glad he hadn’t made do
With the next-to-nothing the world’s provided,
That instead he’s invested his trust in a story
That saves the world from shameful failure.

Let me know of any recent attempts on your part
To save our fellow-citizens from themselves.
In the meantime, if you want to borrow Ramon
For a narrative of your own, remember that any scene
Where he appears under guard in a mountain village
Should be confined to the realm of longing. There
His captors may leave him when they move on.
There his wounds may be healed,
His health restored. A total recovery
Except for a lingering fog of forgetfulness
A father dreams he can burn away.

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