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When I was 16, my mom called 9-1-1 and told them that I was a runaway…while I was standing right next to the phone. Then, when the cops showed up, she told me to stay in the house.
(She was mad and wanted them to take me to juvie.)
I may have been a teenager, but I wasn’t stupid. I stood in that doorway to make sure the officers saw me.
This month has been one of the most amazingly productive and creative months of the last year. I’ve finally been able to focus on the dynamics of my business and fine tune its execution.
…and I’ve been rocking the bejesus out of Photoshop.
So why have I been tripping the month fantastic? Because I have not one but two looming deadlines. First, we return to Raleigh in 16 days. Second, the credits that I purchased on iStockphoto expire today.
Today, people!
Usually for Thanksgiving, I write a “you don’t have to spend time with anyone who doesn’t contribute to your awesome, even if it’s family” post.
And I think that’s important. Sometimes we need permission to do what is healthiest for us even when it flies in the face of social convention.
Or I talk about everything that I am grateful for…which is a lot.
Or just gratitude in general.
But this year…I want to talk about next year.
Thanksgiving is the beginning of the holiday stretch that moves us right into the next year. And usually it’s January 3 before we’ve really had a moment to let it sink in. Last year is over.
A new year begun.
It’s a beautiful series of traditions when you think about it. We give thanks for the year before, we give to each other, then we bring in the new year with verve and hopefulness.
Because a new year is the promise of a fresh start. The possibility of possibility. The potential for even greater things.
And that time always comes more quickly than we imagined.
As we in the United States give thanks, as we express our joy and gratitude at the wonder in our lives, it’s important to remember every way in which we rocked this year.
So we can consciously take that into the next one.
People who seek to connect are usually intuitive, observant, and deeply insightful.
They are also pretty sensitive to the ugliness in the world. The small acts of disrespect, the attrition of personhood, the subtle owning of another person.
This is all wrong! Why can’t anyone see what happening here??
Instead of experiencing deep connection, the sensitive end up feeling deeply alienated. Alone. Misunderstood. As if the world is broken.
I was still in contact with my father when I first went away to university. I’m not sure why but I think it was rooted in a sense of familial duty.
Because even after everything he had done, he was still my father.
And I loved him.
FYI, this is a totally personal post and not really related to self-improvement or personal development in general. If you are looking for tips on dealing with a marriage on the brink, may I suggest Simple Marriage.
For those of you who don’t know, last June Chris and I picked up and relocated to 10 miles outside of Jackson, Tennessee. Why? His mother was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer and given 8 months to live.
There is a connection between Chris and his mother, a deep well of love and respect and something else I can’t quite place my finger on…something on a soul level.
Our purpose in going was to give Chris and his mother the opportunity to be in each others’ presence until she passed. My purpose in being there, instead of staying in Raleigh, was to emotionally support Chris through what would be an undoubtedly agonizing time for him.
At least, that was the plan.
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