86,400

One more Thanksgiving for the record books, happy to have a special day to proclaim my gratitude for a life that’s not always perfect, but keeps me moving forward because what else is there, and of course, beggars can’t be choosy.

As with all of us, there is triumph and challenge and for some, there is more of the latter, but that just means you have to go deeper to look for those things that bring value and meaning to your life, and they are there – trust me!

It’s elementary to think the other person has it easier, but I don’t believe this to be true. We are all flawed and have a cross to bear. Too many of us have to travel far and wide to find reason and perspective, and this is good because I think your soul requires this in order for you to truly appreciate the totality of your life, and those around you. (And remember, that which makes you weak, but doesn’t kill you, will absolutely make you stronger in the end. This I know for certain!)

I began my Thanksgiving with a walk of meditation on the Stony Run Trail. It was abundant with life - with people running, walking, hiking, cycling, laughing and simply being happy in the moment. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to begin my day.

If you only stayed outdoors for mere minutes, doing the ritual of to and fro – boy, did you miss a gorgeous day! There was a big beautiful blue sky overhead if you dared look up for more than a curious quick glance. The sun was shining brighter than it has in a week, and the temperature was a comfortable 63 degrees. The heavy rain from the past few days has forced those few remaining trees to shed their leaves, and what I’m seeing now are the signs of what’s to come – winter, and yes, I’m ready to embrace a new season. How about you?

As I walked I thought to myself, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” It’s important for us all to evaluate and reassess our journey, time and time again, if we want to go the distance. Many of us need to reshape our life in order to respect ourselves more, and therefore respecting others, thus finding that place deep inside that allows for genuine and more meaningful appreciation.

Like many, on Thanksgiving I traveled the route of typical thankfulness – for family, friends, health, etc., but on some level that wasn’t good enough because that’s an expectation, and it’s innate that we would be satisfied, unless of course, your spirit is broken. I met those people too this year, and all I can do is hope and pray for their recovery.

I sat by a stream, looking in the water to see my reflection. My first thought – Is that me?! I realized I’m getting older, but wiser, and with that comes a true sense of self, which feeds into my happiness and my ability to find those things I’m deeply thankful for that help me thrive.

I’m thankful for – the crunch of leaves underfoot because it reminds me of how much I love the outdoors, nature, change in seasons and walking – the simple things in life… confidence because it keeps me strong in the face of adversity… friends that I would like to see more often, but don’t because of distance, appreciating their calls to say, “I’m thinking of you”, “I miss you”, “I care about you”, “I love you”… understanding my body, listening to it and respecting it and therefore feeding it a diet of proper nutrition and exercise… my ability to respect the environment, caring enough to do my part to make it a better place for all… seeing examples of hate because it teaches me to love even more (of course hate shouldn’t exist, but I live in the real world, and it’s not going away anytime soon)… my ability to transcend religious dogma, to see there is a light in me and it shines brighter when I judge less and embrace things I don’t understand and this happens when I seek the truth… Facebook friends I’ve never met, but want too, because they respect my input and I, their wisdom… occasional interludes of solitude, appreciating those moments when I stop speaking and answering life, which allows for better acceptance of change… my ability to be creative because it’s a window into my soul and it has allowed me to meet some of the most amazing people on the planet… music, art and literature because when all else fails, this becomes my back-up plan and always saves the day.

I have my occasional unhappy moments, as we all do, but I’m thankful 86,400 seconds of every day. - paerki

Additional Photos: A Thanksgiving Walk

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