MUCHAS GRACIAS

Sitting here in holiday aftermath, feeling thankful comes easy. I slept late this morning but I can sleep late every morning. I’m well, able to work at a job but haven’t answered the bell in over 14 years. I didn’t get fired or do anything wrong, I just got old and expensive. There were any number of people who wanted my old job who would do it just as well or better, for a lot less pay. Life is good; they have a job now while I have a pension and social security. If I were religious I’d thank God. Truth is, I don’t know who to thank but it really doesn’t matter, Buddha said that even if there is no god at all, prayer is a good thing; it puts good energy into the system, harms no one and uplifts the person praying. God or not, I am blessed. So my unaddressed prayers always begin and end with ‘Muchas Gracias.’ 

We’ve known for weeks what we would eat, anything we wanted. When I noticed that there was no celery for the stuffing, I drove a short, walkable distance to the market and got celery, plus vanilla ice cream to go with the pumpkin pie I bought three days ago. It sounded good in the moment so why not? Leftovers are all in the refrigerator and we’ve helped ourselves to a before-bed snack of pie and ice cream. We have smoked salmon dip that we didn’t get around to; maybe tomorrow, maybe we get to it Saturday. ‘Muchas Gracias.’ 

I’m in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the holiday so after dinner I pulled out my smart telephone, touched a button and listen to a phone ring, a long day’s drive away, to the north. My family was together, celebrating each other, their good fortune and blessings. They passed the phone around and I got to wish each one a happy holiday; how cool was that? I’ll get back in time to celebrate Hanukkah, Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s; celebrate at every opportunity, that’s a big B Belief. Family and friends are expecting me. ‘Muchas Gracias.’

Moralists and control freaks use this time of year to dramatize what makes us different, to move us in the direction of their choice. They remind us about Free Will and the consequences of our decisions but I don’t buy it. I do believe in the perception of Free Will but whether or not Free Will has its own legs is speculation. I understand that sometimes you have life and sometimes it has you. I know that the decisions we make are limited to the choices at hand and they may only be ‘Really Bad’ and ‘Terrible.’ This life is about finding joy in the moment and every day, especially holidays, are cause to share the good will we find there. ‘Muchas Gracias.’ - And, everybody said, “de nada.”