They Earn It

NOTE>  I started this post on March 9, 2009, but never finished and posted it.  In rereading it today, it still seems applicable.  Only differences are that Riley gets his meds four times a day instead of three and there are seven other dogs watching, as of this writing.

If Big Brother is really watching, I'll probably get in trouble for this one, but here goes.

Having a dog with seizures means that he gets special treatment. He takes medicine three times a day and gets extra low calorie treats since we have to keep his weight under control. Since he thinks he's starving to death all the time, he is subject to get his extra treats (green beans and canned pumpkin) fairly frequently. But, as long as he's full, everyone is happy.

Having six other dogs in the house means a whole lot of eyes staring at you wondering why they aren't getting something also. You can't explain to them that the little piece of hot dog he just got was stuffed with his pills. They don't get it. They run to the bowl to see if there is a green bean or scrap of pumpkin left. Then they stare at you some more.

The more I watch our leaders at work, the more I think of my animals. All these stimulus bills and bail outs. Its almost as if everyone is adding something to the pot because they don't understand why they aren't special too. Why can't they have a billon dollars for their project, so and so in the next state over got some?

Gosh Mom, there's plenty of treats in that jar. Why can't I have one?

Gosh Treasury, you can print all the money you want, why can't I have some?

For some reason a few days ago I was thinking about all the bailouts and the way our tax dollars are being spent like Monopoly money. The people spending it won't be around to pay it back so there aren't any consequences for their decisions. John Houseman and the Smith Barney commercial came to mind - They make money the old-fashioned way. They earn it.

No one is earning it right now. Automakers are asking for millions and billions. Congressmen are asking for millions and billions. And the government just seems to want to keep handing it out. Sure, they talk about conditions and so forth, but they don't do anything about it, really.

Nope, nothing has changed.  Our national debt is out of control because of spending and our Congress' inability to work together - as a team.  Lots of talk, no action.  No one wants to play nicely in the sandbox.  It's all do-it-my-way-or-I'll-take-my-toys-and-go-home.

Sad, really.  Greatest nation in the world and you'd never know it by looking.  More and more people are lining up with their hands out.  And why not?  The government is not only making it easy to get assistance, they are encouraging it.  As Billy and I have discussed more than once lately, the only thing keeping us from doing the same is our personal pride.  I'd love to stay home and write all day.  I'd have a whole lot less stress and I'd finally get to see what a Saturday in early spring looks like instead of having to work 7 days a week for months on end.  An early retirement, if you will.

But we don't.  We work, and work hard, for everything we have and everything we still want.  We don't live overly extravagantly but we enjoy ourselves and do what we want, when we can afford it.  Sometimes that takes planning but we do it.

We earn it.

And we can look at everything we have with pride and satisfaction of knowing that we did it the old-fashioned way.  

The Forgotten Holiday

I have long pitied Thanksgiving.  It seems to me to be the Rodney Dangerfield of holidays.

It gets no respect.

It was a slow process at first.  But slowly and surely, Christmas started to follow Halloween.  Now, it even proceeds that in some cases.

George Washington declared November 26, 1789, as a "day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God".  The fourth Thursday in November was later fixed by Abraham Lincoln as the official day for Thanksgiving across the United States.  The origins and basis of the holiday are somewhat disputed, but many will include the original settlers to America, the Pilgrims, as the founders.  They gave thanks for a great harvest after a somewhat rocky start in the New World.

No matter the origins, when it comes to celebrating a holiday, Thanksgiving is just different.

But why?

It isn't a gift-giving holiday like Easter or Christmas or Hanukkah.  It isn't a religious holiday, either.   So there is no commercialism to aggravate those that that wish we would remember the Christ in Christmas and no crosses or nativity scenes to draw the ire of the atheists.  It doesn't specify one segment of society over another (does anyone but me ever wonder why the world closes for the observation of Christmas Eve and Christmas day for the Christian holiday but not one day of the eight for Hanukkah or for Yom Kippur for our Jewish counterparts?) nor does it have any really stringent "musts" as far as the propriety of celebration go.  Almost anything goes in that department.  We used to have Thanksgiving dinner in a hotel room at the Tom Penny Inn before walking to Cowboy Stadium and watching football.  The only real point was that we were together as a family.

It does not require anything more than simply stopping for one day to reflect on our blessings and be thankful for them.  No matter whether or not you believe in God or any other Higher Power you can still be thankful - for your health; for having employment; for those you love; for the ability to smell the flowers, hear the music of your children's laughter, see the sunshine reflecting off water, feel the softness of your loved one's kiss and taste the sweetness of lovingly prepared food.

It should be single-most favored holiday across the board.  It doesn't have any elements that disagree with anyone!

So why does it get so short changed?   People can't wait to clear the dishes on Thursday and pull out the Christmas decorations.  Some start that night.  Black Friday, the massive shopping day for Christmas is starting to encroach on Thursday.  Many stores were open Thursday evening, others opening at Midnight - shifting the focus of the true meaning of the day to getting ready for that night's adventure.  I heard people talking about having to go the grocery store and shop for the big meal, having to cook so many pies and side dishes, having to get up early because they had to drive a distance to see their family.

I'd like to borrow my cousin's blog theme and remind people you don't HAVE to, you GET TO.  You may need to go to the grocery store because you get to prepare food for those you love.  You may need to get on the road early because you get to spend the day with your family.  Reminding us that not everyone is so blessed.

Of course, we should be thankful every day, and Christmas should live in our hearts year 'round, but we aren't always.  There shouldn't need to be a reminder by setting aside a day.  But the day is there and I'd like to embrace it.  I know a lot of people on Facebook listed one thing every day they were thankful for, up until yesterday.  I'm not so public about things like that but I did give it some thought.  I have been truly blessed and I know it.  I try to say a prayer of thanks every day.

Can I change things? No.  I'm not going to get Wal-mart to not play Christmas music and set up trees before Halloween.  Christmas is a huge profit generator for the retail industry and the sooner they can get consumers to think about it the more they may sell - maybe not, but it is worth the gamble to the big players. All I can control are my actions and reactions.

And possibly give some food for thought for you.

Food that doesn't have to peeled, chopped, mixed, baked, roasted or served.

Are you giving the day of Thanksgiving all it deserves?

Not So "Gentle" Reminders

The United States received several reminders on Monday.

As everyone knows by now, terrorists detonated two bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.  Yes, I called them terrorists.  They commited an act intended to inflict terror.  Has nothing to do with where they are from or what they look like.

We were instantly reminded that we are still very vulnerable.  Despite all our best efforts since September 11, 2001, we are still vulnerable to terrorism.  Two men walked down the street, dropped their backpacks on the ground and walked away.  Minutes later, three are dead and hundreds were wounded.  An eight year boy, a Chinese student, and a young female waitress - gone.  In literally a puff of smoke.

We are also reminded that we have successfully avoided this situation many times before.  I daresay we do not even know how many times a potentially devasting event was thwarted.  If you see something, say something.  A simple phrase, but effective.

Sadly, it also took an event like this to remind us that we are all humans and we come together for each other when needed.  Runners stopped running and spectators stopped watching and started helping and doctoring -  carrying out the injured, applying tourniquets, calming the wounded.  Anything they felt they could do.

 It was no longer a race, but a race against time.

Much like September 11, for that moment in time, we were all just Americans.  Angry, ticked off Americans.  Not Democrat or Republican.  Not liberal or conservative.  Not Yankee or Southern.  Just neighbors helping neigbors.

I know I've asked before, but why does it take this kind of reminder?  Why can't we all continue to live with the spirit in which we currently find ourselves?  Why do we allow ourselves to be attacked, invaded, wounded,  knocked to the ground before we step up and stand shoulder to shoulder with our fellow man?    Is this what it takes to get citizens to stand up and sing our National Anthem?  Do we need this type of a reminder to reach out to our fellow man and reach with an open hand and not a closed fist?

I have to wonder why they chose this event.  I guess because of the crowd, but there are lots of events that could have been targeted.  As I alluded to earlier, maybe larger events have been unsucessfully targeted.   As a new runner, it does bother me.  I would love to say I hope to qualify for the Boston Marathon someday.  (A stretch, I know, but I'd at least like to watch it at some point.)

But, as a friend pointed out, I do believe it is symbolic that the bombs went off at the Finish Line.  Starting a race is pretty cool;  finishing one is awesome.  Crossing that line - first, tenth, fiftieth, doesn't matter - is a feeling unlike any other.  It is an accomplishment.   As I commented, it is an "I really did it!' moment.  The terrorists took away that accomplishment.  They stopped a major event and temporarily crippled the United States.

Crippled, but not paralyzed.

Our annual family girl's trip this summer is to Boston.  Been planned for many months now.  I want to go and stand in that space.  Feel the American Spirit present.  Same as Billy and I visit Ground Zero in New York.  To be reminded.  

Reminded that when the chips are down there is no one else I'd rather have by my side than a fellow American.  Reminded that not everyone in the world loves us and our way of life and it is solely up to us to protect it.  Reminded that some people have no regard for human life but we can make sure that no loss of life is in vain.  We can and will bounce back, and do so even stronger.

And if any more terrorists groups forget that, we will be happy to remind them.

Giving Up

Since college, I have observed Lent by giving up something and, later, by eliminating meat on Fridays.  If it ever came up in conversation, I was often met with "you must be Catholic". 

No, I wasn't.  I was a plain, ole', ordinary Methodist.  But I liked the Catholic Church's take on the whole thing.

It was always somewhat surprising to me that people I considered learned didn't seem to realize that Lent is a season on the CHRISTIAN calendar, not just a Catholic thing.

Lent is the time from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.  It is a time of penance and reflection and an opportunity to get yourself "right" spirituality before the feast of the Resurrection.  Part of this process has always been "sacrificing" something as a part of your penance.  Most people will give up chocolate, or desserts, or alcohol, or something else in a similar vein.

But it really should be more meaningful than that.  These are supposed to be lifetime changes.  Stop and think for a minute what we are really talking about.  Jesus committed the ultimate sacrifice.  He died.  For us and for our sins.  After his 40 days were up he didn't get to go back to his old life like we all will.  Now, most would argue that his sacrifice resulted in the greatest gift.  He, as well as all of us that believe, received eternal life for his sacrifice.  Who would want to go back to their ordinary life with that promise in front of you as a reward?

Shouldn't our sacrifices result in something more positive than a caffeine headache that lasts for days?

I'm not being judgmental about anyone that gives up something they love.  It isn't my place.  But I'd like to toss out the challenge to take it to the next level.

Giving up chocolate?  Why not take the bags of candy you aren't eating to a food pantry as a sweet treat for those whose food budget is more focused on the basics?  No more coffee?  Why not donate the $4 a latte per day savings to a animal shelter or a charity of choice?  Foregoing Facebook?  How will you spend those hours that you aren't online?  Will you make it a priority to reconnect with your spouse or children or maybe volunteer those hours at a nursing home or hospital?  Maybe you need to repair a relationship. Perhaps freeing your heart of ill-will is your penance. You may just need to take an internal inventory and rid yourself of the feelings and issues that are now obsolete.

My point is this - make your sacrifice a positive in the life of someone else.  Just like Jesus' sacrifice was a positive for the rest of mankind.  Make it a positive for you as well.  And it doesn't always have to be "giving up".  You can actually "add to".  Make it a point to send your grandmother a card once a week.  Drive your elderly neighbor on their errands. Spend 30 minutes a day exercising to help your physical being.  Doing something like that results in your sacrifice of some of your free time, but you will be making such a difference in the lives of others.

And isn't that what this season is all about?