Real Life and Plans

"Life is what happens to you while your busy making other plans." --John Lennon

The Beatle was right, I am fully convinced. My last week has been full of life happening while I was busy making other plans. My family is now dealing with the challenges that present themselves when they find that one of the members has a serious illness. That caught us without looking, or at least caught me that way. And my Thanksgiving Day in general can only be described as, "Not at all as I planned it."

But you know what? It's ok. I am going to try to see it as a challenge to really get the Thanks giving aspect of Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for. I have such wonderful parents. They're coming to visit, and will be here tomorrow. They have been a constant sense of support and encouragement. I am so thankful. My husband was home for this holiday. I think it's our first official holiday together all year, minus Halloween which really doesn't count as a 'family holiday' necessarily. We spent lots of time together. We took naps. We cooked goodies. How can I not be grateful for that?

People change plans or don't communicate plans and that can really throw you into a tailspin. Life in general does the same thing sometimes. I know I am one who gets an image of what is going to happen over a given period of time and when things don't work that way I emotionally spasm. But in the end, it's beautiful. There's beauty even in the uncertainty, the fear, the annoyance and frustration, and in the disappointment that can come when plans are changed or interrupted.

So today, instead of being frusterated or annoyed because the people I thought were going to show up at my house didn't come (leaving me with a rather large heap of food that I had purchased and prepared just for them), and instead of being depressed and angry about the larger interruptions and plan changes life has thrown at me and my family lately, I am going to try to be thankful. I will admit it's been easier some moments than others, and I expect that will continue to be the case. But, Thankfulness is a cause worth fighting for.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!