Remember to be grateful

Scott Loftis

One of my favorite parts of the week is the Berryville Rotary Club meeting every Tuesday. It’s a good break from work with some outstanding people and it’s gratifying to be part of an organization whose members work hard to serve our community.

The Nov. 14 meeting was especially rewarding as Father Joseph Archibong of St. Anne’s Church spoke to the club about the importance of gratitude.

I couldn’t help but think of the time a few months ago when I saw a Facebook meme about having an “attitude of gratitude.” I left home that day resolved to have that kind of attitude. Then one car sat at a green light for 30 seconds and another put on its blinker and came to a complete stop in the left-hand lane — before moving into the turning lane. And I thought: “Well, I’ll try to have a better attitude tomorrow.”

Of course, I could have looked for something to be grateful for in those situations. I could have been grateful that no one was hurt because of those minor driving mistakes. I could have been grateful that I had a job to get to, and a car to get me there. I could have counted my blessings. That’s the lesson that Father Joseph tried to impart to us, and it’s one we all should try to keep in mind, as hard at it may be sometimes.

This week, of course, is a time for all of us to pause and count our blessings.

At our house, there might be a small degree of stress as we prepare for “company,” as we called it when I was growing up. Our children and grandchildren will be here this weekend, along with friends we’ve invited to share a Thanksgiving meal. The group is going to be so large that our kitchen table won’t accommodate everyone; we’ll have to set up a folding table and chairs. In my eyes, that is a blessing beyond measure — well worth whatever minor aggravation the preparation may bring.

We’ll spend our holiday weekend spending time with the people who mean the most to us. We’ll eat and we’ll laugh. We’ll play games and we’ll eat some more. We’ll tell stories and we’ll check out Christmas lights and then, hey, let’s eat some more!

When the Thanksgiving break is over, we’ll all go back to our day-to-day routine. My challenge to myself is to look for the blessings every day, even when it isn’t Thanksgiving.

I wake up each morning in a comfortable home with my wife and I don’t know how many dogs (they tell me there are three; sometimes it seems like a dozen). I’m warm when it’s cold outside and cool when it’s hot outside. I have food and water — and coffee. I get in a reliable car and drive to a job that I love with people who make that job even more pleasant. When I’m done at work, whether that be 5 p.m. or 11 p.m., I go back to that same comfortable home, to that same wonderful wife and all those dogs, who are always happy to see me. I live in what has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It’s hard to imagine how I could be more blessed.

And still, I have my grumpy days. Sometimes, it’s raining when I walk out to my car. Sometimes, the dog finds a pen within reach and manages to get ink all over the bed. Sometimes, I get confused when I’m driving in Fayetteville and don’t follow my wife’s directions. Sometimes, my computer crashes. And all those times, I forget for a moment – or two — how fortunate I am. That’s only human nature, of course.

I suppose Father Joseph would tell me that I should be thankful for the rain and that I have a bed for the dog to destroy and that I have a wonderful wife who forgives me when I’m impatient and a computer to do my work on. And he’s absolutely right.

We all have things in life to be grateful for and things that we should never take for granted. Let’s all count our blessings this week and then let’s try and remember to count them every day.

Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you!

••• Scott Loftis is editor and publisher of the Carroll County News. His email address is SLoftis@CarrollCoNews. com.