I Am Thankful

As our Thanksgiving holiday weekend draws to an end, I have been reflecting on what I am thankful for in my life.

After a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with friends, where I filled myself with more food than I needed, I am thankful that I have never been hungry.  There were times as a young adult when I had difficulty making enough to live on, but I always had family to help me out.  I realize that being grateful for this is not enough.  As a person with enough to eat, and as a Christian, I need to work for anti-hunger programs to ensure that others can eat, too, both here in this country and around the world.  There is enough food on this earth to feed everyone—the problem is distribution and politics.

I am thankful for relatively good health and I am thankful for health insurance.  I am so much more aware of my health after undergoing gall bladder surgery this past summer.  Suddenly my life became overwhelmed with medical tests and uncertainty.  The one thing I didn't have to worry about was paying medical bills since my insurance covered the vast majority of them.  What would I have done without insurance?  I am unemployed and my husband is retired.  I really don’t know—I think I might have postponed surgery and struggled along for a while.  Everybody deserves basic health care.  As citizens we must all work to improve access to health care and bring the costs down.

I am thankful for my church family which has become even more important since our biological family is far away.  We come together once a week or more to study, discuss, worship, and pray.  We share each other’s highs and lows, celebrating or lending support.  The love that moves among us brings me great joy.  Together we work to carry that love out into the world.

There are so many more things I could add to this list.  I was born in the U.S.A.—that makes me privileged.  I live a comfortable life and I am loved.  I have choices and opportunities that others in this world don’t have.  If I am truly thankful for my good life, I believe I should work for mercy and justice for the people in this world who are not so fortunate.

As the Color Fades

What a gloomy week this has been.  The sun decided to make an appearance on just one day.  While the temperatures have been mild, the weather has been damp.  The beautiful fall colors have turned to brown.  Most of the fallen leaves have been raked or mowed then spread on our garden.  Lonely, bare branches stretch to the sky as if searching for a ray of sunshine.  I am not quite ready for winter and the retreat to the indoors, but my stiff body demands warmth.  I look forward to one small pleasure before climbing in bed each night—sliding into the warm, soothing waters of our hot tub.  From there I can watch the rain fall and the branches sway in the cool breeze. . . and I smile from my place of comfort.

Time to Move On

Like most Americans, I am relieved that the election is finally over.  I was so tired of the political ads—so tired of the lies—so tired of the bickering.  Now it is time to move on.  Is that possible?  Can our Congress and our president work together to solve our country’s problems?  Can there be compromise?  If there isn’t, I’m afraid that the fiscal cliff won’t be the only cliff that we could fall off.

This country has become so divided.  Why?  I have heard a number of theories.  My answer, of course, is biased.  The Republican Party has moved further and further to the right.  It has been taken over by the religious right and the Tea Party.  For the Tea Party, it’s “my way or the highway”—no compromise.  Who knows what they really stand for; there are many different agendas.  The religious right seems to be all about judgment, forcing their views on others, and often hate.

While I have considered myself an independent for some time, I am more aligned with the Democratic Party.  The most extreme of this party can be just as intolerant and immoveable as the Republicans.  I don’t feel like the Democrats have moved further to the left—I do remember the 1960s after all.  Obama is considered more of a centrist, at least in some areas.  However, I have not seen an analysis of this.

Some Democrats are disdainful of religion.  However, there are many people who take a more progressive stand on issues because of their Christian beliefs.  I count myself among these Christians.  Jesus was a radical in his time—he would also be seen as a radical today if he were in human form.  Jesus condemned the self-righteous.  He emphasized that we should take care of the poor.  Jesus accepted the outcasts of his society.  My Christian beliefs lead me to work for social justice issues, like GLBT rights.  I don’t believe our national budget should be balanced on the backs of the poor.  I have worked for anti-hunger programs and I will continue to do so.  I strongly believe we need to work with people of other faiths to make a better country and a better world.  My political views are opposite those of fundamentalists; they don’t even consider me Christian.

I hope that we can all discover what we have in common.  There has been so much anger.  Conservatives are disappointed with the election results—this is understandable.  To move our country forward and solve our problems, we must ALL be willing to compromise.  That is what is required in a democracy.  Let’s hope we can save ours.

One Year of Unemployment

It has been one year since I lost my job—one whole year of unemployment.  I wonder if I shall ever be employed again.  It’s not that I’m bored—I can always find plenty to do.  Of course, money is an issue.  There is never enough of it.  Unemployment insurance ran out long ago.  We don’t live extravagantly and paying bills can be tough.  Our debt is higher than we ever imagined.

There is another aspect to being unemployed.  In this country you are what you do.  A person’s identity revolves around the job.  This has always been an issue for me, but being unemployed is the worst, I think.  It’s hard on the ego.  After a year of applying for jobs, it seems that nobody wants me.  What don’t they like?  I know my age is working against me—employers want younger people.  I think some employers are put off by my church experience; they have misconceptions about what it’s like to work for a church.  When I do get an interview, I do okay.  However, I am not a bubbly person but more quiet.  This is a negative for many employers.  The longer I am unemployed, the harder it is to get a job.  Employers prefer employed people.

I haven’t given up—I am still job hunting.  However, I am beginning to ignore jobs from employers who haven’t given me an interview in the past, even though I’m well qualified.  I am actually getting pickier.  Do I REALLY want this job?  I know I am a smart, competent woman.  I am a dedicated, hard worker.  I have received glowing reviews and compliments from former employers, coworkers, and others.  If only somebody would give me a chance. . .

A Day in Fall

The sun is out today.  Golden leaves still hang from the trees while others float to the ground.  Brown and gold leaves pile up on my deck, waiting for me.  Plump brown squirrels play chase through the leaves on the grass.  Magpies mingle, having their own conversations.  Summer is forgotten, fall is here, and the coming of winter hangs in the air.  I’m not sure I’m ready to give up the colors.