Everything is Available Now, Nothing is Available Later

INSERT PICTURE OF ANNOYING SALES PERSON SAYING BUY NOW OR RUIN ALL HOLIDAYS FOREVER WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY HERE.

If there’s a theme to November television, it’s buy now or regret forever.  The commercials are convinced we will be dueling over dented cans of beans and oversized packages of white tennis socks if we don’t order everything for Christmas now now now now now now NOW.     The world wants all the trappings of Christmas and trimmings of Thanksgiving without the work, sacrifice, thought, yes, hassle that come from thinking of someone other than one’s self –the world wants a feast that required no effort, yet somehow satisfies on a sublime level.  It’s rather like those Food Network judges that are always searching for something other than what they are tasting.  Everything is found wanting, unless it has already been acquired.  It feels like a dull appetite at best, boring for all eternity if one allows one’s self to be swept up in the craziness of it all.

So for November, I will be spending it giving thanks to try and remind myself and if possible, the world, of why we bother with all of this in the first place.  Gratitude builds joy, and our spiritual muscles as a nation have grown slack.  We’ve learned to find all the faults, and to find the whole wanting because of the faults to the point of not recognizing, people still risk everything to come here.  Yes, things should be worked on, so that the world can be better, so that we will be better, but we should still be thankful for all the blessings of here.

Part of this project is personal.  For years, I ran Small Success Thursday, and it acted as a spiritual anchor, that made sure I didn’t let a week pass without noting the victories (small and big) that happened.  When I stopped that practice, I also stopped marking the time in a way that allowed for many little victories to be forgotten.   So I’m restarting today.   It’s Friday, so I will start today as Reflection Friday, to mark the little things that should not be lost.

This week’s victories included:
1) Getting to the doctors for regular check up.
2) Son filled out common app for two colleges so far.
3) Trick-or-treating with children was fun.
4) got a visit in with a friend.
5) daughter is starting to be more pro-active in her academics.
6) husband and I have movie tickets for next week –so a date night to enjoy in the works.

There are others but these are the ones I want to highlight.
I’ve had grading and been ill this week, so writing’s taken it on the chin.  Will try to get back to doing the writer staple of 500 words a day, whether or not they’re published starting today.

P.S. Don’t forget to pray for the deceased this month.   They will be the first to greet us when we are so blessed as to arrive.   This too, is a practice of gratitude, because it is a gift to those who wait in joyful hope, and something we hope to experience when we die.   Be thankful for everything.    Happy November.  Enjoy the fall and the moment.  It’s a lot less stress than thinking, if I don’t act now, all  is lost.

Planned to have a lovely fall shot to close this piece, but PEXEL and I are not on speaking terms, so nothing is uploading. IMAGINE LOVELY FALL LEAVES HERE and SIP SOMETHING COMFORTING AND WARM.