It’s that time of year when we are reminded to be thankful.
Some years are easier than others.
Our bodies may have misbehaved, or even betrayed us with illness or ailments. Our investments of time, energy, and effort may have yielded disappointing results. Or, more visibly, we may have been forced to accept an unexpected empty chair at our Thanksgiving table, and then deal with its unwelcomed replacement: grief.
Life may have been more difficult than we’d had planned, or hoped it would be.
Despite our losses, it may be time to “major on the minors.” We may need to find a little something that “went right” instead of wrong, and embellish it with all the positivity we can muster.
For me, that inspiration comes from memories.
Sometimes we need to pluck a tiny memory and give it the old “spit shine” that my father used to talk about when he’d polish his wingtips until they glistened.
Then, to give it life, we need to share it.
We need to tell that story in all its glory. We need to get out our little paintbrushes, add a little sparkle, and make that memory shine with love.
Here’s the memory I’m plucking this year. Yes, that’s my Aunt Pearl, my mother’s sister who left us only weeks ago. There she is, adorning her lips with Revlon’s Orange Flip from her M & M bag—medicine and makeup bag. You would NEVER find her without that M & M bag.
Bless her heart.
Now, for my tiny paintbrush.
A few years ago, my sister drove from her home in Georgia to check on our parents’ home in North Carolina. She arranged to have lunch with Aunt Pearl, who lived nearby, and Aunt Pearl’s daughter, Robin, who drove in from South Carolina to join them. Once they settled in at their table, they noticed they all had something in common.
Yep, check out those nails. OPI’s Cajun Shrimp. Three women, three states apart, meeting for a rare lunch together and all wearing the exact same color! It must be in my family’s DNA!
Gratitude is the memory of the heart. —Jean-Baptiste Massieu
Indeed! How about you? What memory will you major on to prompt your gratitude? Tell me about it. I’d love to know.
Happy Thanksgiving! Happy memory-making!
My best–always,
Becky (Nana B)
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