Most of us are done being thankful. Our bellies are full, the wine is gone, the guests are all back at home and the dishes done.
But I'm still thinking about being thankful.
I realized, yet again, one of the things, well, probably the thing I'm most thankful for is people. People and relationships. The people in my life and my relationships with them. The new people that come in and the new relationships that grow. The long held relationships and how those grow.
Basically just anyone that gets to know me and still sticks around. They hold a special place in my life and I don't think that is a thought tainted with where I've been standing these past few weeks.
I really don't.
Here's the thing about people and relationships though, they're alive and take work.
Real actual work.
I've been thinking a lot about risks and taking them and how it all works.
Now taking a risk doesn't necessarily mean jumping out of a plane or doing something major and life altering.
But, in a way, it does.
See, if you take a risk, you live.
What?
Okay. Here's how it goes, at least in my own mind.
In the past chunk of time, we, I, took a risk and took in a baby and loved him with all my heart and soul. And it was risky. There was a risk of him being "taken" from us.
Well, he was.
And it hurt.
Bad.
But, the risk of all that and the pain of it, was worth it.
Pain was worth it?
Yeah. It was.
It was so worth it, I'll do it again and again and again. And, on top of that, I'm going to stand here on my little soap box and tell you to do it too.
What?
It goes like this.
If you don't take a risk and step out and love and be loved, you're world will be shades of gray, not technicolor.
If you don't risk being brutally broken, you never have the joy.
Now, I'm not saying being stupid and just throw yourself away. Not at all, but when a relationship starts coming along, take the risks, whether it's friends or family or romance. Sometimes you have to take the risks to have it all.
It's where I come back around to life being bittersweet. If you don't sometimes have the searing pains you never realize how startlingly beautiful or intense the loves are.
That's all.
And that's what I'm thankful for. For the risks, for the pain, for the utter glories of love and being loved and being able to love, full out, all in.
