Earlier this week I received an email from a dear lady back home, and in it, she included the quote, “learn to live praise, to make gratitude and joy your default, and to move thanksgiving away from a holiday to a lifestyle.”  This perspective of moving thanksgiving away from a holiday and into a lifestyle struck me, especially knowing the Thanksgiving holiday that was quickly approaching when I had received that email.   Throughout this week, sadness had been creeping into my heart knowing this would be the first holiday where I would miss a large family gathering, not to mention the turkey, stuffing, and pies!   But, after receiving this email and remembering what a great friend had told me about choosing to give thanks in all circumstances, my perspective began to change.  Instead of dwelling on the holiday I was missing, I decided use it as an opportunity and seek to make thanksgiving a lifestyle.  But, just like when you’re seeking to become a more patient person, you end up getting stuck behind an incredibly slow driver, or catch every red light, or pick the slowest line at the grocery store, the same held true in my desire to be more thankful.

It was no coincidence that every other day this week our water was shut off, and on the days where our water was on, it was our electricity’s turn to be on a rolling power outage.   I cannot confidently say I was successful in finding a reason to be thankful after putting my only bed sheets in for wash in the morning, the soap just starting to mix with the sheets, and then the water being shut off for most of the day.  I knew the prognosis was not great, as running the sheets through the rinse cycle that evening and hanging them to dry (no dryers here!) would likely not result in dry sheets by bedtime.  The rolling water and power outages were quickly followed by a complete shut down of cell phone service, in addition to numerous websites being inaccessible.  The Internet was spotty, at best. Even this morning, trying to stream a 50-minute video from a sub par Internet connection required nearly three hours and lots of “buffering”.  However, I am happy to report the choppy connection this morning resulted in having to watch 10-15 second segments multiple times of this video.  So, perhaps it was beneficial?  Ha.  And just this afternoon, I wanted to make a recipe, but was short a couple of ingredients, which would usually be available here.  Walking to five different stores later, I walked back home with empty hands.  Reflecting on the week, which now seems almost comical, there was one story in particular, the story of “K”, which helped remind me to take these grumblings and change them into a reason to be thankful.  A lifestyle of thanksgiving.

I responded to the email with K’s story, which I will also now share with you.  This past weekend (Eid), K was able to get her 2½ year old son back, as he had been living with his Aunt for the past six months.  K, who is my “language helper” did not have a proper house for him to live in, resulting in K putting her son under her sister’s care, who lived in a village a few hours away.  With some help, K managed to finish off a sufficient portion of her mud hut over the past 6 months, therefore having the ability to care for her son again. Now that he is back home, he goes to work with her each day (she is a house helper full time, language helper part-time), which requires 2 buses and a 20 minute walk uphill, each way, with no stroller.  After my language lesson with her this week, we were walking and stopped in at the “bakery” she used to work at.  This bakery operates out of a small, dingy, cement room in a basement, and customers literally walk up to a hole in the cement wall, with a tiny window, to pick up their bread.  K brought me inside the bakery, introduced me to the current employees, explained to me the process involved in making na’an bread, and kindly allowed me to help prepare the dough, for a few minutes.  While inside, she pointed out the bed that she slept in for 3 months, during the time she worked at the bakery, as she did not have a home.  Her “bed” consisted of sleeping under the counters where the bread was made.  I could not believe this sweet lady had to sleep under the very counter she made bread on for hours each day.  And even now, in her village, she does not have simple conveniences, like refrigeration.  During our walk, K purchased two yogurt (her son’s favourite food), then explained to me she could only purchase a small amount because she has no way of keeping it cold in the village.  And if that reality did not produce thanksgiving in my heart, the fact that only moments before I had given her 2 ½ year old son his FIRST a cup of juice during our language lesson, certainly did.  In many villages, people only drink tea from a teacup, as juice and other drinks are too expensive or require refrigeration, and the water is safe to drink.

After hearing part of K’s story, my little Internet, water, or electricity inconveniences seem almost silly.  And in reality, there are many other stories like hers, even some far worse.  Although stories like K’s, among many others, break my heart, I am thankful for the renewed perspective they bring for us.  I believe, in every challenging situation and circumstance we encounter, we can choose to turn it into a reason to give thanks, which will then slowly move Thanksgiving from a holiday, to a lifestyle.

As my family back home celebrates Thanksgiving this weekend, I want each and every one of them to know, from the depths of my heart, I am thankful for them.  Each Aunt, every Uncle, all my cousins, my grandparents, my thoughtful and caring brother,  my kind-hearted sister-in-law, my favourite nephew, and my parents who love me without condition and always have my best interest in mind.   I am so thankful for the love that characterizes our family, the camaraderie, the humour (yes, cousin Laura, you are the most funny), the meals we have enjoyed together, the vacations spent together, weekends at the cottage, and the golf and Euchre games resulting in me beating my favourite Uncle Steve.   I have included a few pictures below of my immediate family, simply because I miss and love them.