Thanksgiving is just a few days away. The weather confirms it, as do the grocery stores and radio ads. Wet cold days spent inside make it the appropriate time for reflection, to look back or ahead, to be totally present in the moment, and to give thanks in all things.

My sister, Lynne, and I email back and forth on the days our work shifts over lap. We are not texters, Heavens no, but have developed a number of our own acronyms for comments or phrases that seem to work themselves in our conversations regularly, so we’ve made our own shortcuts for time saving. We have OOTROW, which can be a good thing or a bad thing – out of the realm of words! It’s for something that happens or an emotional response that the English language just has no words to describe. This happens surprisingly often! We also use SNWI. This applies to a new ice cream flavor or a movie we took our time and money to see – so not worth it!!!

Two of my favorites are IAR, it’s all relative, and PIE, perspective is everything. Lynne and I use these often as reminders, in reference to work, relationships, finances, or how we spent the weekend. We don’t tolerate much whining. We are blessed in countless ways. Though there’s always something we’d like to be different or better, or one more thing we’d like to possess, we are lacking nothing! Almost more important than being thankful for the blessings in our lives, is support, prayers and anything else we can give to those who are not as well off, financially, emotionally, or health wise. Many people in the east won’t be spending this holiday in their home because it’s gone. Many kids won’t be getting the dozen toys they want because their parents can’t find jobs. Not everyone will spend time with their entire family, as one may be overseas in the service or sick in a hospital.

Right now I’m sitting by my nice warm fire. I whine plenty about using my free time to cut firewood, that I get sore and tired and filthy from doing it. But how lucky am I that I’m able to do it! In a place that I love! Is it hard spending an afternoon in the woods with the fresh smell of cut pine, listening to Stellar jays chat in the tree tops? Hardly! Do I love my little wood stove radiating free heat? Absolutely! So once again I remind myself that perspective is everything. Wishing you some PIE thoughts for your holiday, along with warmth, happiness, and full tummies. Cindy