Thankful
I'm almost stunned that in just a few days Thanksgiving will be upon us. This is traditionally my favorite holiday of the year. It's cold outside, but warm inside. And it's a built-in excuse to have a nearly obscene amount of my favorite foods, almost all of which are calorically dense, but oh well...you get a bye from worrying over all of that because it's a special day! And there's football. Lots of football. The house will radiate with the smells of pumpkin spices, apple cider and roasting turkey. And we'll gather together as a family. Which includes the four legged family as well.
But, in a way, Thanksgiving - particularly for the primary cook - is a frenetic day and there's not a lot of time for soul searching about what the day is truly about: being thankful. And this has been, I'll freely admit, a rather whirlwind year with a lot of major changes. Things have happened not by design, but by necessity quite a lot this year and sometimes it's hard to know how to think and feel about them. So, I'm going to take a few quiet moments now, just in advance of the holiday, to tell you a little bit about what I'm thankful for - some dog-related, but some not - with a moral to the story, and this morality tale will be for me really more than anyone else. For I need to be reminded - we probably all do occasionally - that despite things happening outside of my control, there is a lot to still step back and realize is good in life.
First of all, I am thankful that we live here - Pittsburgh. This is a city with a steel hardened exterior, but a tender heart. The city was handed an awful blow, particularly Squirrel Hill, a quiet, lovely part of the city where you cannot imagine anything happening more horrible than a Penguins loss. But the city which welcomed me at such a low point in my life seven years ago is resilient and proud. I watched with pride as people stood outside in the rain to donate blood in the immediate aftermath of the Tree of Life shootings. All ages, races and religions united as one. That's what this city is about. And I'm proud and thankful I call it home.
Of course, I'm thankful to be here because I'm so close to the teams I love. I've been granted access to things I never, ever dreamt possible growing up in Montana, or watching from afar in Texas. I am so blessed to be so close and have such access to these teams who have given me so much joy over the years.
I am thankful for my friends - maybe they aren't counted in the millions, or even the dozens, but they are special. I'm a difficult personality in the best of times, and these are not the best of times, so for those who have stuck with me: I do appreciate you, even though I don't take the time to show it like I should.
I am thankful for my family, both the cousins who share absolutely no blood with me, but always make me forget that, and the closer family who make me so proud everyday.
But since this is after all a dog blog, I have to save them for last: the four-legged family. They can be a hassle. Ask me how many times the kitchen floor has been mopped in the last 48 hours. They can be downright aggravating. Try handling the zoomies when you are stressed over this, that, or the other. They absolutely assure that you will go nowhere ever without dog hair on everything you own. I am currently scrunched up along the very edge of the bed while Sirius stretches out comfortably along the bottom half and Geddy has the top half. Forget trying to get any share of the covers. But for anyone who has loved a dog and had a dog love them, you'll know what true love means when you come home and see the look your dog gives you. I've written before about the unconditional love they give, but their patience and acceptance with all the changes over the last few months has sustained me. At the end of every day - whether it was a decent day or a hard one - they were with me, ready to cuddle. They love me when my teams win. They love me when they lose - and trust me, I'm not that lovable in those moments. I have always said it, and I'll always say it: no one loves you like your dog. And I have very good dogs!
The moral to the story for me, and hopefully for all of you, is that no matter the circumstances, there are things to be thankful for. May you embrace them not only this week, but always. And Happy Thanksgiving from the Collie Army.
But, in a way, Thanksgiving - particularly for the primary cook - is a frenetic day and there's not a lot of time for soul searching about what the day is truly about: being thankful. And this has been, I'll freely admit, a rather whirlwind year with a lot of major changes. Things have happened not by design, but by necessity quite a lot this year and sometimes it's hard to know how to think and feel about them. So, I'm going to take a few quiet moments now, just in advance of the holiday, to tell you a little bit about what I'm thankful for - some dog-related, but some not - with a moral to the story, and this morality tale will be for me really more than anyone else. For I need to be reminded - we probably all do occasionally - that despite things happening outside of my control, there is a lot to still step back and realize is good in life.
First of all, I am thankful that we live here - Pittsburgh. This is a city with a steel hardened exterior, but a tender heart. The city was handed an awful blow, particularly Squirrel Hill, a quiet, lovely part of the city where you cannot imagine anything happening more horrible than a Penguins loss. But the city which welcomed me at such a low point in my life seven years ago is resilient and proud. I watched with pride as people stood outside in the rain to donate blood in the immediate aftermath of the Tree of Life shootings. All ages, races and religions united as one. That's what this city is about. And I'm proud and thankful I call it home.
Of course, I'm thankful to be here because I'm so close to the teams I love. I've been granted access to things I never, ever dreamt possible growing up in Montana, or watching from afar in Texas. I am so blessed to be so close and have such access to these teams who have given me so much joy over the years.
I am thankful for my friends - maybe they aren't counted in the millions, or even the dozens, but they are special. I'm a difficult personality in the best of times, and these are not the best of times, so for those who have stuck with me: I do appreciate you, even though I don't take the time to show it like I should.
I am thankful for my family, both the cousins who share absolutely no blood with me, but always make me forget that, and the closer family who make me so proud everyday.But since this is after all a dog blog, I have to save them for last: the four-legged family. They can be a hassle. Ask me how many times the kitchen floor has been mopped in the last 48 hours. They can be downright aggravating. Try handling the zoomies when you are stressed over this, that, or the other. They absolutely assure that you will go nowhere ever without dog hair on everything you own. I am currently scrunched up along the very edge of the bed while Sirius stretches out comfortably along the bottom half and Geddy has the top half. Forget trying to get any share of the covers. But for anyone who has loved a dog and had a dog love them, you'll know what true love means when you come home and see the look your dog gives you. I've written before about the unconditional love they give, but their patience and acceptance with all the changes over the last few months has sustained me. At the end of every day - whether it was a decent day or a hard one - they were with me, ready to cuddle. They love me when my teams win. They love me when they lose - and trust me, I'm not that lovable in those moments. I have always said it, and I'll always say it: no one loves you like your dog. And I have very good dogs!
The moral to the story for me, and hopefully for all of you, is that no matter the circumstances, there are things to be thankful for. May you embrace them not only this week, but always. And Happy Thanksgiving from the Collie Army.
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