by Mary Wakefield Buxton –
URBANNA — Our society values individual happiness so much that it is called a basic human right penned in the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson that includes “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Abraham Lincoln wrote that in his opinion people were just about as happy in life as they decide they are going to be. After a lifetime of thinking about the nature of happiness and how illusive it is, I define it as a butterfly flitting from flower to flower — it’s here one minute and then it’s gone, I think Honest Abe was right.
I have also learned over the long years while experiencing some of the same heartbreak and troubles that hound humanity that happiness comes from one characteristic so often lacking in American society today. The simple act of being grateful for life, the new day and all the blessings that we have.
And yes, we don’t have everything we want, we never will, nor should we, happiness is more a journey than a reward, and all we must do to be happy is appreciate that journey we call the experience of life.
Regardless of our troubles — high inflation, growth of violent crime and drugs in our society, higher and higher bills, job layoffs, battles with age and health issues, break up of marriage, heartbreak from death of friends and family members, the threat of nuclear war and global warming, living in an imperfect society, the list goes on and on, we still have many blessings.
I like the old Ann Landers approach to troubles. Make a list, put what is good in your life on one side of the page and list all the problems on the other side. Then go back and read the list of blessings. What are they? First, the gift of life itself and second if we can write down our blessings we have been given the gift of education and the skills to read and write. Think what great blessings these are!
If we are able to get up in the morning and get dressed and walk to the kitchen, think of these blessings. And how about breakfast? Whether it is a king’s feast or simple oatmeal or toast, when one is hungry, food is always a blessing.
And if the sun is out today, we’ll, count that as a blessing. If we have someone who loves us, well, how lucky we are, especially if it is a dog who greets us each day with a waggly tail, then we are the richest man in the kingdom!
Do we have a nice neighbor? Write that down on the blessing list, how about a good friend?
More blessings if we can see the moon rise off the dark horizon and smell the rich autumn leaves falling like a blizzard on these windy fall days or hear the song of birds in the pines!
And that is just the beginning of what will soon become a very long list of blessings that we can be thankful for, so long we will have to start a new page and a new list, for when we think of our farmers, teachers, doctors, lawyers, grocers, pharmacists, police, military, fire and emergency workers, ministers utility providers — the list of others who care for us is unending — those that help keep us going on a day-to-day basis, then we begin to get the big pictures. How very fortunate we are!
My two sisters and I gather at “Alice’s Barn,” an old farm building she has restored at James Store in Fluvanna County for our annual Thanksgiving. The Barn comes with open rafters, wood plank floors, antique wood stove in the kitchen and a pot belly heater in the main room. The highlight besides good food and company is always the dogs and this Thanksgiving we have a “Four Dog Thanksgiving” along with whatever “Grands” are available. (One Thanksgiving we set the record with a “Six Dog Thanksgiving,” including a Great Dane who lay down on the floor like a horse in the center of the room and we had to step over him each time we walked across the room.)
This year we celebrate a new Airedale puppy of 4 months that sister Georgia will bring to the annual gathering. That puppy is sure to get many kisses and hugs from his adoring dog-loving family.
And we give thanks once again for our lives and our close relationships and the love and care we share all the year long. And especially we give thanks for the fact that we live in this beautiful Middlesex County and the Town of Urbanna.
So, no matter what black clouds may have gathered in the sky, our joy of Thanksgiving for life’s blessings will never be diminished. I hope you join in on such spirit!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
© 2022
