There’s no turkey on the table, no carloads of guests arriving, no hustle and bustle, no kids yelling, getting underfoot and trying to stick their fingers in the food.
Ah, but there’s memories of all that, and the sun shone this morning on another glorious day. The helicopters, after four days of continuous flights over my home on their way to fight the fire over the hill, which turned out to be a pretty big one by the way, have finally quit roaring by with their loads of lake water.
Someday, after a few winters and their rains have come and gone, someone will wander through the recovering land, look down, and find the skeleton of a fish and wonder how it got there.
Our lives are what we make of them. It all depends on how much we care about living and how much time and energy we give to looking to the future. If you look around you at successful people, and by that I mean those who are clean, happy and not in any trouble, you see people who look ahead to tomorrow and beyond, and plan for tomorrow and beyond.
The secret of a happy life isn’t to make a lot of money, even though money is necessary to enjoy the fruits of our world. It’s to choose the truth over convenient lies, to admit error instead of deny and hide mistakes. Simply enough, it’s to consistently choose good over bad, right over wrong. That’s what wev’e always called Common Sense, just knowing the difference between right and wrong and choosing right.
If a cashier hands you too much in change, give the extra back. People will admire you and you’ll grow as a person. If you step on someone’s foot, take the time to apologize before hurrying on. It all adds up. Your happiness grows with your personal sense of worth.
On Thanksgiving Day most of us, at least those of us who aren’t busy getting drunk, do take the time to reflect on what they’re thankful for in life. Most of that always turns out to be the good things they’ve earned themselves.
Sorry about the ethics lecture, but after my post on Personal Problems about a dysfunctional and very dishonest member of my family, I needed to check my perspective and writing in this blog is how I go about that.
I have a good life. My chicken pen is done and the baby chicks are growing bigger in a box in the spare bedroom, and before too long they’ll be clucking instead of peeping, and laying eggs for my breakfast. The views off my deck are gorgeous. I have 20 acres of semi-wooded mountainside to go play on, wonderful friends, an adequate income, a really nice cat, and my friends on this blog.
I got here by my own choices. Along the way I’ve made some bad ones, but they were all with good intentions, which has made the difference for me in the life I now have. Visiting my nephew has reminded me of how important it is to always try to exercise common sense.
I should thank him for that, but I’m still working on that one. 
i like how you describe the secrets to a happy life, choosing truth over lies, admitting errors instead of hiding mistakes. i agree. i must confess, however, i’m a little envious of your 20 acres.
Good on Ya Blacksheep !
We don’t have to look to far to find someone who is worse off then we are.
I remember thinking back when i almost bought the farm…the rest of my life is gravy ! gravy everyday !
everytime i get in a rut i remember that day.
Yep, every day is a gift for me, too, so I know exactly what you mean. Every morning when I wake up I feel thankful for another day of life.
Living is a dangerous thing to do. I mean, you can get killed! Those close shaves have a way of getting one’s attention.
It’s funny, though, the directions people go. I’m convinced that we’re all born with our basic attitudes. The astrologers have been claiming that for a few thousand years and I don’t know if the stars or planets have anything to do with it, but we do seem to come into the world pre-set.