A reason to be thankful

“In times of death, the living must also look to the light. Not longingly to go to the other side with their loved one, but to relive the past — the fleeting moments of joyous escape, love, and pain that make living worthwhile. There, in the light, will we be ever united.”

That is not a quote from some theologian or a long-forgotten requiem for otherworldly understanding. That is something I wrote a little more than a year ago with many tears in my eyes, sitting there looking at the exact sight you see in the picture above. It was the morning after we found out that Saydee, our completely illogical and utterly fascinating boxer dog, had The Fucking Cancer. I was struggling mightily to deal with it, not knowing how to cope with the intermediate time that we had with her while preparing for the inevitable moment that would come later on. No one knows how to handle it really, but it had been a long stretch since I’d had to put my soul out to be crushed.

Last week I looked back on that time and wondered if we did it OK, if we did right by her. Saturday was one year from my public announcement that the Baby Bean had the Big C. That day I declared that I’d post a picture every day for as long as we had her. She was such an attention whore that she hung around to pose for more than 240 pictures. Go figure.

After seeing that post ‘On this day’ on Facebook over the weekend, I read through the comments, and looked at the Likes. Between those uplifting thoughts and the outpouring of love every time the #badass #bridleboxer got tagged on social media the rest of the next eight-plus months, it’s obvious we did it right.

You, my friends, made it right.

As hard as it is to still not hear her romping around the house, barking at UPS trucks or snoring louder than her humans, it’s at least comforting to know she’s in a better place. And what makes me feel lucky is that you helped us cope, helped sustain us.

With Thanksgiving last week, there were plenty of great things said about a lot of people. And that was all good. Everyone has the right to think they have the best of whatever and that they’re thankful for all that’s in their life. True dat.

That goes for me being thankful for you. Anyone who reads this lame little blog every now and then when I get around to tapping out some words on my keyboard should feel good about themselves. Doesn’t matter your financial situation, whether you voted or who you voted for, if you like guns or hate them, or where you want the World Series to be played*. My friends are my friends, and I’m thankful for them.

Period.

Sure, we won’t always agree. And some of you know I vehemently am opposed to some things you like or support. It’s ditto in some cases, I’m sure. But that does not mean we can’t still be friends, that I can’t call or text to lift you up in a low moment, or that we can’t enjoy a thrilling high together.

All of this angst and whining and jealousy going on today, in many cases driven by social media, is really just minutiae. Let’s look at the bigger picture, be the bigger people, and just enjoy each other. If we have to not talk about certain topics, well, OK then. Let’s just do that every day . . . and still be friends.

I’ve been lucky and thankful that I’ve had some great people in my life over the years. But mostly, I’ve been lucky that they’re still beside me today. Don’t push people away just because they don’t agree with you, or you don’t agree with them. Sometimes, being in that middle — in the light, if you will — is where we all find the best in each other. And it’s where we should aim to stay in most cases.

 

* What the fuck is that crap, deciding the home team for the World goddamn Series at the All-Star Game? Give me a friggin’ break.