This Thanksgiving proved to be an unusual holiday.
I usually try to reflect on the true meaning of Thanksgiving and make a mental list of what out-of-the-ordinary things or circumstances I'm particularly thankful for, especially those that have developed over the past year. However, these last few days have proven the value of small blessings, definitely the ones I'd normally take for granted.
Wednesday: I stayed late at work on Wednesday night to finish a long project. Knowing I'd be able to start again on Monday without coming back to it after two months of writing felt like a relief. At around 6:45, I stamped a "Draft One" proofing mark on a completed file and put it into circulation for approvals. I thought about being thankful to be employed and happy to have my family waiting for me at home. My husband had been home all day, so he had a chance to clean house and everything was prepared for a happy holiday.
I'd been meaning to get a haircut and pedicure for about a month now, but just hadn't found the free time to do so. My favorite salon is open until 7:30, so I supposed I'd have just enough time to get in and get finished. I did plan to enjoy that pedicure, though, as my feet really hurt lately, at eight months pregnant. I had just sat down and put my feet in hot water when my husband texted me. A stream of frantic messages and voicemail followed: we needed a plumber, urgently.
What I can only guess to be raw sewage had filled our drains earlier that evening. My husband was upset after having just cleaned house, besides the additional expense of hiring a plumber. I hurried through the salon services, worrying all the while, and rushed home. When I walked in, my husband was on the phone with a plumber we'd used before; it wasn't yet 8 o'clock, but he still had to charge holiday hours, an extra $100 minimum fee to come that night or on Thanksgiving. My husband asked me what I wanted to do. For at least $100 extra, I figured we could wait a day. We scheduled for Friday, shut all the bathroom doors and went out to dinner.
Every time we opened a faucet, a drain in another part of the house began to gurgle. Fortunately, we weren't having guests until Saturday, so it wasn't a huge problem to go without for a day, but it was certainly inconvenint and unsanitary. It's easy to forget how much we all depend on indoor plumbing for showers, the use of our dishwasher and washing machine. I was suddenly thankful for clean water and its normal use within the house. There are, afterall, so many people in the world, in this country, even I'm sure, in this state, that go without in their homes, every day.
Thursday: A friend visiting in New York texted us to talk about Black Friday shopping. The import taxes for his country are so high that name brand items are rarely brought to be sold as regular merchandise. All he wanted was to get to a local Home Depot. However, Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade had blocked the way and getting around the parade route involved a 22 mile cab fare. In the end, it wasn't really worth it for him to go and then pay the return fare. I suddenly felt thankful to drive to my local retailers and shop at my leisure, with a full selection of reasonably priced items. Being able to get in the car and go really is something we take for granted every day.
Friday: Still thankful for indoor plumbing. It was an easy fix and I felt relieved to have a variety of cleaning products available with which to clean everything, again.
Saturday: My sister came to visit from Texas. We were having a great time until the doorbell rang around 6 that evening. Our neighbor apologetically explained that she had crossed into our driveway and backed into my sister's parked car. The night ended with my sister on the phone with her State Farm agent. She thought they might need a rental to make it back on Sunday, as her husband had to return before his three o'clock shift as a physician's assistant at a new job. The entire back door and rear bumper need replaced, but they arrived without incident and the neighbor's insurance should cover the damage. Insurance, job flexibility and being near home all seem like sudden points to be thankful for.
There are actually so many fortunate circumstances with which we live every day that are easy to get used to just having all the time, besides the bigger picture of life, health and employment. It was still just a strange, almost Murphy's Law-type Thanksgiving, but still a very happy time. Maybe it's not only a time to thankful, but more a time to be mindful, particularly as the year draws to a close.
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