Cranberry Sauce —

So, I’m sitting at work, procrastinating harder than usual because of the holiday, and I thought I might offer up a brief moment of appreciation in light of Thanksgiving.

Whatever your feelings about the origins of Thanksgiving (and our country), I think that taking a day to appreciate how you have been blessed (rather than focusing on how shitty life is) can be a valuable exercise. And if you can extend that appreciation to a daily ritual, then you will be a much happier person (in my opinion).

I know that some people loathe this time of year because they don’t feel as though they have anything to be thankful for. So I wish for them some solace and peace of mind through the holiday season, as it can be difficult for those who have had a difficult life to appreciate the blessings that are there, even if you don’t see them.

If you are troubled by reading others expressing thanks and gratitude for their blessings because it makes you feel sad, this is a warning that I’m about to do just that.

First and foremost, I’m grateful for my family. I don’t deserve such a wonderful family, but I have a loving wife and three intelligent, healthy, beautiful children, as well as great parents, grandparents, siblings and in-laws. None of this have I earned, so I am grateful that I have been born into their lives.

I’m grateful for this community, which has fulfilled the philosophy I set out almost a year ago. I wanted to create a community that challenged Fat Acceptance advocates to think critically and that allowed respectful dissent and disagreement. Thanks to our bloggers and readers, we have done just that. I love that we have bloggers from various perspectives and commenters who aren’t afraid to question us and come back for more. I love that we have found a way to preserve our unique voices and opinions in a way that does not cause distress or strife. In short, I love Fierce, Freethinking Fatties and I am so grateful that we have been able to succeed when it seemed all but impossible to exist outside the Fatosphere. And finally, I am grateful for Fat Acceptance in general, which helps us to stride with confidence, to pursue health on our own terms, and to challenge the conventional wisdom with solid, research-based facts.

I am grateful for all those who have gone before us (my fellow Catholics will recognize this turn of phrase), in particular my friend Larry, who passed away nearly a year ago. I miss him terribly and wish I could talk to him again, but his family has shown remarkable resilience in spite of their grief. Despite the loss of a great father, husband and friend, we are thriving with his memory and look forward to the day when we can paint the deck together once more. I also want to offer up my support for those who have lost a loved one recently, especially my friend Jen, whom I work with, and whose mother passed away over the weekend. The holidays are even harder knowing that you can no longer share that day with the one you love. But hopefully, the holidays can be a reminder of all the love and joy that you did share you could. It doesn’t make it any easier to suffer through the holidays, but maybe it can give you something positive to focus on.

I am grateful for my job, which, when managed properly, allows me to engage in Fat Activism throughout the day. And I am grateful that I even have a job in this stifling economy. I hope that those who aren’t able to find work will persevere during this difficult time and that the struggles of today are a temporary pain. I am grateful for all those public, private and non-profit groups who help support those who are struggling financially, as well as for those who are able to support those groups financially.

Finally, I am grateful for life itself. The odds of us being here are highly unlikely, but we are. And despite the pain and misery and suffering all around us, there is great love and great joy to be found in the very breathing in and breathing out that sustains us.

I am grateful that I have been fortunate enough to be born in a developed nation, where my problems are nothing compared to those who struggle for daily survival. I am grateful that I have been fortunate enough to be born into a middle class family, where I don’t have to struggle to put food on our table or a roof over our heads. I am grateful that by good fortune, I and my family are provided for, when so many don’t have this kind of blessed security. And I am grateful that I have the ability to help those in need and to fight for the basic human dignity that each of us deserves, regardless of the circumstances of our lives.

In short, I am grateful for it all: sorrow and joy, love and heartbreak, peace and turmoil.

I wish the best to you and your family, and that whatever struggles you may endure, whatever hardships you may face, whatever sorrow you may suffer, will pass like dark clouds.

Thank you for being part of our community and I wish you a happy holiday season.

What are you grateful for?