The worst Thanksgiving ever

Not such a great day for the turkey. (Library of Congress photo)

This Thanksgiving will be a quiet one.

I had been feeling trapped by my circumstances. No travel, no extended family. It felt like a punishment for a crime I didn’t commit.

But then I remembered that this isn’t the worst Thanksgiving I’ve ever had. There was the one where I had some kind of mysterious food poisoning and spent Thanksgiving on the bathroom floor, unable to eat a single bite of food.

And that Thanksgiving was in Hawaii.

When I recalled this, I had to laugh. “My worst Thanksgiving was in Hawaii.” I mean, come on. What a princess.

So now, I’m sad because my “worst Thanksgiving” is a quiet day at home with my husband in our nice warm house?

I do miss friends and family, deeply. But in the spirit of the holiday, there is much to be grateful for. It’s all a matter of perspective. The circumstances can be perfect and I can still have a crummy time, or they can be less than ideal and I can enjoy myself deeply. I get to choose what I will focus on.

It’s funny and sad that we can’t help but wish for whatever we don’t have. I am longing to be around a bunch of children; meanwhile, those with rowdy households would love to sleep in today.

But comparing what we have to what others have is a recipe for misery, even if we’re doing it in the spirit of trying to be grateful. Why would we be grateful that we have food when others don’t have any? There’s got to be a better way to frame it.

So today, I’m not going to think about what could have been or what others are doing or not doing. I’m not going to question the choices that have led me to this point. I’m just going to appreciate reality. I’m not going to hunt for things to be grateful for — I don’t need to. This dark, cool, rainy day is perfect as it is, just like every day.

It feels strange, in 2020, to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. So I’ll say that I hope you are able to find moments of peace and calm to enjoy your life exactly as it is — today and every day.