Here we are, moving toward the end of 2020 (at last!), which has been a difficult year. As the holidays approach, we first have Thanksgiving, which begs a question. Can we be thankful during a time like this?
My answer is a resounding “Yes!” I looked to the history of Thanksgiving as support for this view. In the fall of 1863, President Abraham Lincoln instituted the first official Thanksgiving holiday. The country was in the midst of civil war, but Lincoln was calling for gratitude to the Almighty. In a time when wives were becoming widows, children were orphaned, and Americans were fighting and killing Americans he wanted people to look from hardship to hope, and to remember that even during a really difficult time we still benefitted from abundance from farms and factories in our country. If people could celebrate Thanksgiving then, we should have no problem doing it now!
I often say that attitude is everything (when I’m not saying that timing is everything, which is true in real estate sales). We are each in charge of our own attitudes. I am working with a woman now who has been plunged into making decisions she didn’t expect, but she has stepped up and is taking them on! Her husband is recovering in a nursing home, so he is unavailable to help, and he will not be able to return to their home when he is discharged. She is having to find them a new place to live, with the help of Stan and Bill from A Change is Afoot. I am working on a plan to get her home ready for the market, getting bids for repairs so she can decide what needs to be done. A month ago, none of this was on her radar. But she has stepped up, adjusted her attitude, and is just taking it on one day at a time. I am so thankful to be able to help her work through this process. Ultimately, Laurie with Seamless Moves will help her get packed and moved, and John from CJ Estate Sales will empty the house, selling the things she isn’t taking with her. It is wonderful to watch as people rise to the occasion, and I am really privileged to be able to help people through a difficult time.
As we eat our turkey and stuffing, but without a big family gathering, we can remember what another great American said. Ben Franklin reminds us that, “You only have the right to pursue happiness; you have to catch it yourself.” How will we each work toward a fulfilling year this year and next? Are you living the life you want? What should you change so that you are? Who can help you make that change? Here is one more quote, just because I really love it, from Willie Nelson: “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” I wish you all many blessings to count, friends to enjoy them with, time to enjoy them, and health. Happy Thanksgiving!
Mindy Garner