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by Nelia Dingcong Bernabe
November 28, 2010
It’s a great week! It’s a week for gratitude, thanks and acknowledging all our blessings. Heck, even the Pope got in on the action. He says condoms are now the lesser of two evils to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. Finally, The Church budged from its stock-still stance on contraceptives and now Catholic prostitutes have one more reason to be thankful for.
Man, I never thought that I would get to live to see the words Pope and condoms in the same sentence. I seriously thought the dogmatic laws that govern the Catholic Church are set, sealed and buried in stone, never to be touched, changed or revised. This is encouraging news.
The gratitude train continues on. Earlier this week, I made sure I watched the final episode of Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) – Season 11. Sure, I could get pretty indulgent at times. I have not watched an episode this season but I’ve managed to get little-bitty updates when I skim through the Internet. When the brouhaha exploded after Brandy and Maks got voted out last week in favor of some girl whose last name is Palin, I knew that I have to watch the finale.
I am glad that DWTS ended the way it did. I am thankful for the show’s sake. There were rumors floating around in cyberspace that if, operative word is if, Palin won, that would have been the end of DWTS. Maybe not really the end but for a lot of folks who watched the show, they definitely felt it would have lost a lot of its credibility if Palin won.
I give the Palin kid “A” for her efforts, for showing up every week, and for being so brave in spite of the controversy. She is a Palin after all, a Grizzly cub! But I don’t buy the argument that she deserves to be in 3rd place over Brandy. She sure has improved from the season’s very first show but as far as I am concerned, she did not improve enough to land on 3rd place. The kid can’t dance. She can’t even shimmy for crying out loud! But that’s water under the bridge now. I am just grateful that she did not win the Mirror Ball trophy. Imagine the tag lines from the Tea Party movement if she did. Whew!
Next stop on the gratitude train is on one minor detail. I am staying put and not traveling this Thanksgiving week. Airports scare me nowadays. What with all the body scanners and the pat-downs, staying home has become a better option for me. If I had to choose between the two evils though, I’ll definitely opt for the body scanner in a heartbeat – easy, painless and swift.
Pat-downs? Forget it! I don’t want any glove-bearing hands exploring my body in a really weird way if I can help it. Worse the TSA person might ask me to remove a piece of my clothing and I won’t have a say. I heard testimonies from people who were patted down and were told to disrobe. Scary thought! Sign of the times for sure but I am really thankful that I’m not setting foot in an airport anytime soon. Hopefully by the time I do travel, the TSA rules have eased up a bit and I don’t have to worry about the invasive exploring and groping. I’m thinking around Christmas.
But condoms, dancing, groping and exploring aside, and yes, I’m still talking about Thanksgiving, it is really the time to say THANK YOU out loud. Regardless of our circumstances, our trials and challenges, blessings come in all sizes and forms.
In one loving broad stroke, I am grateful for so many things and everything that’s inherent and a part of me. There are my three kids who are thriving and trying their best to make a difference; there’s my ever-supportive husband; there’s our new addition – my precious granddaughter, there’s that second chance by way of a new job that has allowed me to put all my experience and education to great use; there are my few loyal friends who have allowed me to share everything with them without the fear of being judged, and our two doggies who are a source of pure joy.
Beyond the trappings of an overflowing dinner table crammed with all kinds of gastronomical bonanza, it’s one time out of a year that we make a conscious effort to pause and reflect on the word “gratitude” and acknowledge our thankful hearts.
But I also know that gratitude turns into a mere figment of our imagination when pantries and refrigerators are empty, or when utilities are shut down and our homes are foreclosed. It is really hard to look beyond an empty plate or ignore the feeling of helplessness and desperation, and focus our attention to being grateful when the odds are stacked against us.
I am not even going to sugarcoat anything. If you’re without a job and you have been looking for quite some time now, you wouldn’t even be thinking about gratitude or saying thanks at this time. It’s the same deal if your unemployment checks have run out and you’re not sure when your next meal is going to be. It is hard as hell to remain positive and thankful when hope is diminished.
It is challenging to embrace the message of thanks when there is a recession and when it hits home. A mixed message certainly exists and it does not resonate well. However like all trials and tribulations we faced every day, the great thing about being us is our ability to rise after being knocked down. Human nature for the most part allows for a fast rebound once we set our minds to it.
Just look at the Catholic Church. It took the Pope so many years before finally conceding to the reality that the world and its people are changing. In order for the Catholic Church to be effective, it needs to move with the changes that are happening. Keep hope alive. It’s not just a slogan but a lifeline, a cusp that will move your life from hopelessness to a palatable state. The key is perseverance, persistence, and prayers.
In this season of thanks, I hope and pray that you will find the strength to find one simple reason to say thank you out loud. We are here, we are alive, and nothing in life stays the same forever. A thankful heart is an antidote that works wonders. Give it a try!