As of this writing, we’re going into this holiday week of Thanksgiving (2020). Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays. Despite how tremendously awful this year has been, I have hope in my heart. And I have gratitude for each new day that comes.
But to appreciate and relish that gratitude, I’m compelled to look at the dark side because it’s the right thing to do.
That’s how a person grows. Only by acknowledging the miserable and the ugly does a person learn and change.
(The idea for this post came to me when I was doing Episode 33.)
Backdrop on Gratitude for a New Day
Current day temp check for Sally in the Zen:
- According to World Meter as of 11/22/20, the latest stats on COVID-19 for the world:
- America’s current stats on COVID-19 as of 11/22/20:
- COVID-19 is outside our doors in the State of Pennsylvania since March, 2020.
- Stay-at-home in the State of PA was implemented and eventually lifted. But a couple of days ago from this writing, more restrictions were re-implemented for Philly because of upticks in the Coronavirus.
- Zen Master and Zen Mum are healthy and relatively happy but I’ve noticed that Zen Master has become more frail due to the drastic decrease in physical activity. Because I have to hold his hand tight when we go for our daily walks nowadays lest he stumbles and falls.
- We haven’t seen their grandkids, my nephews, since this all started. Except through Zoom, but you know what I mean.
- Our extraordinary hurricane season this year:
- According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “The unemployment rate in April 2020 increased by 10.3 percentage points to 14.7 percent. This is the highest rate and the largest over-the-month increase in the history of the data (available back to January 1948). The number of unemployed persons rose by 15.9 million to 23.1 million in April. The sharp increases in these measures reflect the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to contain it.”
- I got laid off on November 11, 2020 and just filed for COBRA.
We’re all going to eventually land on a some new normal. Because there’s no ever going back to the pre-COVID “old days”.
Grateful to Count My Blessings for a New Day
If I were to be completely transparent, I could harbor frustration, disappointment and even hate in my heart because of all this shit that’s happened to us. I could rage and spit at the Universe for the unfairness of it all.
There were moments where I did do some of that.
But I inherently live and breathe the positive vibe, and naturally return to that normal state of having hope and love within and without. That’s my nature.
I hold thanks and gratitude in my heart on this backdrop of this present moment.
Because I understand (for the most part) of why all this trauma is happening to us and the world.
Lest one forgets, I am Zen Buddhist, after all. May not always pull that card out but there you go.
Therefore I have extreme gratitude for each new day that comes.
Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone.
Sally in the Zen
