Giving Thanks

“Give Thanks”, says one of the many framed decorations hanging on the walls of the lovely house that I’ve moved into for the summer. 

Yes, I’ll give thanks for all the wonderful blessings I have in this moment. 

Although I hardly ever write about world events in this blog and I often shy away from the news, I am painfully aware of what is going on — it’s just too painful and upsetting for me to dwell on it. 

As Putin’s attack on Ukraine plunges parts of Europe back into horrors that we hadn’t seen since WWII (or maybe the war in ex-Yugoslavia) and here in the U.S. women’s rights, reproductive rights, and the rights of trans/queer people are threatened and actually stolen not only in some backward-looking States but even at the Supreme Court level, horror and pain and fear engulf me. I won’t let them overwhelm me, though — I’d rather give thanks for what I do have in this little slice of paradise and do my small share to improve things where/how I can. 

So, thanks for having not only a roof over my head but for actually living in a beautiful place with lovely people. 

Thanks for being able to live in a region where my reproductive rights as well as my rights as a trans person are not only respected but even fostered. 

Thanks for having been able to navigate the rough waters of the past few months or years — for all the support that I received through most of it. 

Thanks for the centered groundedness I have found.

Thanks to my friends — old and new, nearby and far away — for being there, for accepting me just as I am, for putting up with my “tantrums”, for sharing joys and fun as well as difficult moments. 

And thanks also for this gorgeous springtime!