fall is upon us!
…is going to be a bit different this year. First of all, it’s 70 degrees outside! Second of all, I am really worried about Pennsylvania. It seems our whole state is falling apart because– well, in case you didn’t know it, PA revolves around Penn State. There’s even a marker on campus that says that that spot is the center of PA.
I’ve blogged before about the ups and downs of Penn State, and this latest PSU shame is nothing I really want to blog about.
PSU’s debacle brings up a bigger issue:
How to be thankful in the midst of tradgedy?
That’s a really tough question– and almost all humans eventually face it.
Here are some suggestions:
1. Recognize that life isn’t over. Life is unfinished. There is comfort in this thought. Why? Because it opens the possibility that things can get better. It’s easier to accept that things are not good when you know they can get better.
2. Recognize that emotions give you information. You can ask “What is this feeling? What am I telling me about myself?” There is always a “Why?” with emotions like anger and sorrow… they are secondary emotions, and it is easier to accept that things are not good when you can identify a full range of emotions. Plus, it is really difficult to transform negative emotions into something positive unless you understand where they are coming from and what they are telling you.
3. Recognize that gratitude is a great option over vengence and hatred. Not gratitude for an event of misery per se, but gratitude that you are getting through it… that you are living… that you are becoming… that you are not giving up… that you are still capable of seeing the beauty in a sunrise, in every sunrise. Emotions are changeable! That’s something to be happy about!
Thanksgiving will soon be here… So, start thinking now of how you can reach out to someone in Pennsylvania who needs help. Just for an example– there are thousands of flood victims still putting their homes back in order, so reach out this year! Give another human something to be thankful for, especially if you are bummed out.
ada.mae.compton 
Very inspiring, thank you for reminding us and teaching us how to make a bad situation into something more manageable.
Proverbs 22:9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
*I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. ~Edward Everett Hale
*The willingness to share does not make one charitable; it makes one free. ~Robert Brault
Beautiful said, and so relevant for all of humanity ❤