When Unthankfuls Turn Into Thankfuls

My "puter is being persnickety. It's only two years old, but it acts as though a band of wild monkeys has been jabbing at the keys. TAME monkeys would never do that.... 

So, this week's Ten Things of Thankful are a little, well, odd, because they come from not-so-thankful events

First, there was the Covid exposure. That's not a thankful in itself, but it was the cause of some thankfuls:

--I had to quarantine for two days and miss work. I love my job, but missing work when you feel fine isn't exactly horrible.

--I have said it before and I will say it again: I hate, hate, HAAAAATE yard work of any kind, but I did a little in spite of it, and I was semi-pleased with the results.

--In my feeble attempt to do yard work, I discovered, to my pleasure, that our ginormous, overgrown holly bush with the thorns on every point of every single leaf is 90% dead, so I have a legit reason to cut it down.

--I am a weakling, plus I lack the correct tools to completely cut the holly bush down, but I made a pretty good dent in it, and I'm hoping to whittle away at it over the course of the summer. I'll figure out what to do when I get to the trunky part when I get there.

--I planted a couple of geraniums in two pots on either side of my front door, and they have lived for five days now. It's a good start.

--Covid test was negative!

A dear, dear family friend passed away this past winter. He was a second father to me growing up, as our families lived next door to each other from before I was born until I was 11. A Covid surge prevented the family from having a public memorial service for him, so it was postponed until this weekend. Funerals aren't usually on a thankful list, but this one is an exception:

--The last time I saw some of the people who attended this memorial service was at the one for my mom, six years ago (another bittersweet time). It's a shame that we sometimes don't see people we love except at funerals, but at least we DO get to be together then, and that's what makes losing a loved one a little more bearable.

--My very best friend growing up was Cherie (it was her dad who passed away). We were built-in best friends, since we were next door neighbors and our moms were best friends. Her sister and brothers were mine, and my brother, hers. Cherie and I shared our siblings, clothes, toys, parents, and memories, and seeing her made my heart happier than its been in a long time.

Wish I had gotten a better photo of us. Next time!

--My mom and Cherie's mom Earline had coffee together several times a week. There were two more coffee buddies on the block: Betty and Hazel. Guess who came to the memorial service Saturday? Both of them, along with Hazel's daughter. Another happy surge for my heart! 

--Of course, I got to visit with Earline, as well as Cherie's sister Lindy, who used to protect us by letting us snuggle up against her when we watched "Dark Shadows" on tv, her younger brother Craig, who we used to wake up from his naps just so we could play with him (sorry, Craig, if you have sleep issues to this day), and her older brother Doug, who owes me about a thousand dollars for unpaid back scratches from when we were kids and he promised us a quarter to scratch his back and NEVER PAID UP. It was so much fun!

--I got a surprise from Cherie's husband David, who I've known since junior high. He told me he was a huge fan of my blog and loved my writing. It may sound silly, but that comment meant the world to me. I have always written primarily for myself, starting my blog by documenting my breast cancer journey, and finding out that someone truly enjoys my storytelling is nothing short of delightful. Thank you, David!

--My dad and I stayed with my brother and sister in law all weekend. I always appreciate them letting me use their home as an airbnb, especially because the bed in the guest room is exceedingly comfortable and my brother cooks for us.

--I spenet some time with my daughter, who is recovering from two weeks of law school finals, and we attended the Bans Off Our Bodies rally.

Rally at Mill Creek Park

There you have it: thankfuls that could just have been unthankfuls! It's all in how you look at things.

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