I'm having a rare, very picturesque holiday moment right now. The house is toasty with the glow of the woodstove and delicious smells waft by; the turkey is brining; the baby is napping; and the big kids are relaxing with daddy. Sure, the floor is filthy and a million other things that need to be tidied are calling my name...but this moment is too delicious not to lean into it a little.
A picturesque holiday moment, and perhaps also a stereotypical one, as I've been reflecting on the theme of being thankful. *Cue sentimental music* Seriously, though, too often we're prompted to consider thankfulness only through the lens of loss - only in comparison to the misfortune, tragedy, loss, grief, and trials of the rest of the world. Kind of like how I only remember how extremely grateful I am for good health when I've narrowly avoided a brush with influenza, or how we may pause to remember how lucky we are to have a home to keep us warm and safe only after listing to stories of home fires and homelessness on the news. Basically, it's the "eat your vegetables; there are starving children in India" vibe in a nutshell.
Not that this a bad thing, necessarily. It's kind of unavoidable, and am empathic awareness of others and the global community is something to strive for in many ways. But the ever-presence of this lens came into focus recently as I've caught glimpses of a different kind of thankfulness.
It's a pure sensation. It's elation and joy, and a momentary suspension of fear and trepidation. It is completely of the moment, and it's likely to cause goose bumps.
I was invited to document a friend's redeployment ceremony earlier this month as he returned from a nine-month deployment to Afghanistan. This image, which I took moments after he was finally returned to his family's arms, is what first struck this Thankful chord.
