What We Can Do About It

Once again, we are approaching the end of the month of November and, once again, we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.  This year, as I was contemplating what I could write, I did what I always do - I read the prior Thanksgiving posts I have written, hoping for inspiration.  

So, what happened this time?  I found myself wanting to call attention to some of those posts because, if they spoke to me, they might speak to you.  So, for this year's Thanksgiving Day post, I selected my 2015 offering as the foundation for this year's post.  It is NOT the same post, but there are similar elements.  I hope you enjoy it.   

I often start writing the Thanksgiving post whenever I am feeling like I need to exercise my gratitude muscles.  It can be difficult to think about good things when you have bad news on your mind.  It's even harder when you witness bad behavior, intolerance, and hatred. 

 

I wonder if I am mistaken in my belief that when something bad happens, the good people on this earth should be thinking about how we could help each other.  This is a time when we should all find common ground regardless of race, religion, orientation, creed or stance on *fill in the blank hot topic*.  This is a time where we should be trying HARDER to understand people different than we are and trying less hard to determine if we can categorize them as with us or against us.

So, what can I do about it?
 

Well, I am not always certain about the answer to that question.  Problems are so big and the power I wield to make change and help others is so limited.  Then, you can throw in the perfectly normal uncertainty that comes with knowing I am imperfect, and any solution I might advance is likely to have a whole boatload of shortcomings.  What a terrible feeling that is - to have the desire to help and to feel that you are impotent and unable to do so.

So, what AM I going to do about it?

I'm going to remind myself (and you) that there is always a chance to make a difference.

 

I am going to practice gratitude and thankfulness.  And, while I am doing that, I am going to work to do positive things in situations where I have some influence.  I can exercise my abilities to be as understanding, caring, positive, supportive and merciful as I am able.  And, when that is not enough, I will work even harder at it in hopes that one day, it will be enough.

And, when I don't feel strong, I will let others help me to stand again.

 

And, when they don't feel strong, I will do what I can to prop them up.  And, when none of us feels strong, we will gain strength by leaning on each other.  I will do what I can to remember that the person next to me could be the one who makes a difference for me, just as I might be the one who could make a difference for them.

And when today is over, I'll prepare to do my best again tomorrow

 

I can take a moment and appreciate the beauty in nature.  I can take a little bit more time and see if I can capture at least a little of that beauty with an image that can be shared with others.  By sharing, I can hope that at least one other person gains something positive by seeing it.

I can remind myself that bigger things often come from smaller things.

 

Planting seeds can produce flowers, fruit, shelter and beauty later on.  And, perhaps, planting seeds of gratitude can benefit us in so many other ways.  If we plant these seeds, over and over again, we work to rewrite the narrative that tells us this world is filled with evil, that this world cannot be changed.  If we fail to plant these seeds, there will certainly be NO change for the better.  By planting them, and persisting in their cultivation, we make the impossible possible.   

My persistence makes the impossible possible.

 

Many things that are worth doing seem impossible when you look at them as a single task.  But, when you start to break them down into a series of actions, you can be surprised by how far you can go.  Back when the pandemic started, I challenged myself to write blog posts daily.  While it is not quite daily any longer, I am still on a pace to produce more blog posts in 2021 than I did in 2020.  When you look at it as a whole, it seems pretty impossible.  But, when it is a regular habit, it suddenly became possible.

 

Persistence in doing the little things eventually leads to what can be an impressive body of work.  What small thing will you persist in doing this coming year?  What amazing thing will grow out of that effort?

Identify the potential and be the steward that sees it through.

 

Those trays represent the potential for over 3200 plants, but they require nurturing if they are to realize the production we might hope for them.  But, it is their potential that encourages us to care for them every day when they are in seed trays.  It is their potential that leads us to transplant, cultivate, irrigate and otherwise care for them.  

I can learn patience

 

I need to remember that the best action might be to wait and be ready for the moment when the time is right (or ripe).  If you want to herd your chickens, you can't rush them.  And, if you want a ripe tomato, you should just let it ripen.  Trying to do too much can be just as bad as doing too little.  

 

Perhaps that "action" you should persist in taking is to wait?  I don't recall saying that any of this would be easy.  The simple act of deciding what to do and what not to do isn't simple.  That makes me think that some of the patience I need to learn is...patience with myself.

There is no substitute for hard work

 

A strong harvest of snow peas does not simply appear of its own accord.  There was a fair amount of effort put into them.  If we think something is worth achieving, then some real effort on our part is required.  If you think it is optional, then you will be disappointed with the results.

We don't want to live with disappointment and neither should you

 

Certainly, things won't always go the way we want them to - even when we work hard.  In fact, things go wrong sometimes even when we do everything "right."  That's when we re-frame how we look at things.

I can re-examine my own expectations

 

I fully understand that I am imperfect.  I recognize that my vision of perfection is flawed.  But, as I learn more - as I experience more - I should allow that vision to change and grow.  It's times when I do this that I recognize that the harvest was better than I thought - the differences I was hoping to achieve were not the one's I was aiming for, but they were every bit as good, and maybe better!

 

I will not stop trying to figure things out and I will not stop learning.

 

I will take the time to look at the things that seemed to go wrong and I will learn from those events.  I recognize that I cannot improve if I ignore failures.  And, I certainly won't get better if I don't accept responsibility for my errors and my inconsistencies.  I need to reframe the failures and the misses so that they become ways for me to be a better me.  They are no longer negatives, instead they become another positive as I continue to make forward progress one step at a time.

 

And sometimes, things work out.  The choices we made, the hard work and all of the other variables lead to success.  Suddenly, you find yourself wondering how to graciously accept the gift that comes in the form of positive results.

I will appreciate successes

 

It can be so easy to continue to find the cracks and the faults.  What about that one bed of onions we never did get to cultivating?  We lost the entire bed, you know.  It would not be hard to create an extremely long list of failures for each season on the farm.  I am all for reviewing things that didn't quite go as planned so we can learn from them.  But, dwelling on it would not show gratitude for the good things that happened this year - especially if it overshadows them.

I will remember the value and worth of the good things

 

So, I remind myself to take the time to think hard about the things that went well this past season.  I tell myself that this is a time to recognize the positives and give thanks for them.  By giving thanks for the good things, I am reminded of their value and worth.  These are the things that can be part of what sustains me when times are difficult.  These are the things that show me that I am still on the path to reaching the vision of a better world.

Each day, we try to take a little time to recognize something that makes us see value in our surroundings.  Rainbows.  Friendly and extremely "helpful" cats.  A droplet of water on a broccoli leaf.  A few moments with family.  Another fifty pounds of red onions.  A note from someone telling us they appreciated something we did.  An opportunity to go help someone with a task of some sort.  A beautiful piece of music.  Or a flower.  Or some time with our best friend.

So, once again, we celebrate Thanksgiving at the Genuine Faux Farm.  We are grateful for all of those who have supported us over the years in so many wonderful ways and we look forward to more adventures.