Giving Thanks

Hello! I know it’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve posted to the blog. But I’ve been traveling and wrapping up the semester. If you’re not a follower of the blog, make sure to do so by clicking the link to the right. I’d really appreciate it!

 

I didn’t set out to blog about Thanksgiving, but it seems totally appropriate to do so. Lately, it seems as if I’ve been extremely discontented. Right now, everything in my life seems so uncertain… career, relationships, finances, etc. I know this is only a temporary time in my life, but it’s become so easy for me to be less-than-happy and in the slumps. But as I woke up this morning and I thought about Thanksgiving being tomorrow, I felt that I needed to change my attitude.

 

Sure, I may not yet have a stellar job lined up upon graduation, but I am thankful that I am capable and intelligent and competent. And though my Prince Charming hasn’t yet knocked on my door, I am thankful that I am never short on love from family and friends. I am by no means a millionaire, but I have never gone without anything that I needed, and for that, I must be thankful.

 

Yesterday, I helped Jaron (my nephew) make his first batch of sugar cookies. He was so excited to be cooking with Auntie. I measured out the ingredients, and he dumped them in. Then he helped to mix them and put them on the pan. In the end, they turned out looking like scones because he wanted to shape them on his own, but they were quite tasty. Now when I’m at school, I live by myself. It could be weeks before I receive a hug from anyone, and I must say that it gets kind of lonely. So when I’m at home, I soak up all the hugs and kisses that Jaron, Drew (my niece), and the rest of my family have to offer me. So I’m thankful to have some place to go to feel loved.

 

Tomorrow we are going to have a small Thanksgiving. Noelle and the kids have gone to visit her family. So it will be me, mom, and David Jon together this Thanksgiving. Some may consider this set-up to be quite lonely. But recalling what our family has been through, I will consider this a table of survivors. Not only are we surviving, but we are also succeeding and excelling. That’s definitely cause to be thankful.

 

Being thankful is really a perpetual state of mind. It is so easy to look around and see what is wrong with the world, with where you live, with who you are. But it takes a concerted effort to see what is right, what is lovely, and what is positive. So tomorrow, I have made up my mind that I will utter no complaint. I will think no thought of how I wish things were or what I want things to be like. I am going to focus on all the things that God has been so kind to bless me with. I challenge you to do the same thing.

 

One last note of thanks goes to you for reading the blog. Many of you have left comments, sent email, or seen me in person and told me how much you enjoy the blog. Not only is this an outlet for me, but also I hope that it impacts those who read it in a positive way. And when I hear that people identify with my posts, it really validates my effort. I am certainly thankful for that.

With that being said, Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Eating!!!

Let's Stay Together

Hello again! 

First, thanks for continuing to visit the site. And continue to spread the word about the blog. I'd really appreciate it! Second, thanks to Noelle and Earniece for becoming followers of the blog. If you'd like to follow suit, just click the link on the right of your screen! 

Alright, so this morning as I was on my way to my externship, I popped in my old school mix CD. It's full of the old stuff our parents listened to: The Elements, Teddy P, Luther, The Temptations, Minnie Riperton... you get the idea. What I love about these folks is that they talk about real love. It reminds me about a joke Steve Harvey told about how he learned to "mack" girls by listening to Al Green. Imagine what our generation uses to "mack"... case in point: the song "Knock It Out" by Yung Joc. On that note, I digress.

Back to my ride in to work. These cats knew what real love was. Now my grandparents

 had been married for over 50 years when my

 grandaddy passed away. I have no doubt in my mind that they went through some hard times. My grandma told me a story about how one day she didn't have dinner ready when my granddad came home. And my grandaddy started yelling at her and told her, "When I come back you BETTER have my dinner!" She said she went to her room and packed her suitcase. And in her words, "Oh, you should have heard him begging!" Lord knows that my parents' marriage had many ups and downs, but they stuck it out.... even as it went from better to worse. That's real love.

Did you know the song by Al Green "Let's Stay Together" was penned after Dr. King was shot? Green explained that after his assassination, the whole world was in an uproar. He looked at his woman and thought, "No matter what's going on in this world, we've gotta stay together." And I think the same thing is true today. Our country is in financial upheaval as we speak. We still can't find Bin Laden. AIDS is a world-wide epidemic. And gas is too high. At some point, you've gotta look at your mate and say, "You know what? In this world, where it's looking more like hell on earth, we're better off together than apart."

They say Black Love is on the decline. And if 

you're like me, you've heard all the reasons... the lack of marryable black men, the attitude of black women, and the list goes on. But I think in my mind, I've begun to hope against hope. Call me idealistic or unrealistic, but I still believe there's someone out there just for me. And when I do stumble upon that man who is perfect for me (not that perfect man), you all will be the first know. But I said all that to say that the models of successful marriages and relationships are on the decline. Our charge as young, successful, singles is to re-create the mold for ourselves. We have gotta show the world that love is still the answer and love can still last. 

I must say that here recently, I've been a little encouraged. Two of my line sisters recently

 married their high school sweethearts. My best friend Allison's parents have been married for over 25 years. I recently designed wedding favors for a lady who was getting married for the first time... at 43 years old! And every time I see Barack kiss Michelle on the cheek, I just wanna melt! I know that relationships are never perfect, but to me, they're always worth it. So when things get tough, I say pray. And for some ideas on making the love last, ask Al Green.