Reasons to be Grateful

Ed and I were talking on the podcast, this week, about Thanksgiving, about being grateful for what we have and where we are.

In Britain, perhaps a little earlier in the year, we have the harvest festival when we, in churches and schools, give thanks for the years farming produce. Historically this has been a great event that acknowledges our gratitude for the fact that we will survive the winter. Often harvest festivals were held in villages and communities keeping them together in a shared identity.

In this week of thanksgiving it begins with Grey Wednesday, when shops begin the early sales of good deals of Christmas fair. Thursday Thanks Giving is a celebration of when the founding fathers thanked the native Indians (1621) for their help and support they gave in 1620 when half of their community died from starvation. Next comes Black Friday when goods, at crazy discount prices, are available in the shops all over the world. This year Black Friday will also be the day of Mike’s Funeral (Rie’s dad), certainly a day of thanks giving. All this is followed Cyber Monday when special deals are available on line.

So, a quick word about Mike, who is my amazing father in law, who will be interred on Friday. It has been a real journey for him and the family as cancer and COPD have challenged his system and his spirit. He has been an amazing man. His granddaughter Halle wrote a poem to be read by her brother Ryan at the funeral in which she described him as her inspiration. She concluded with…

‘He is the bravest strongest man I know. Because you don’t know how strong someone is until being strong is the only option they have. I love my grandad, he is an incredible man, that is why my grandad is my inspiration.’