Monday, August 16, 2021

Gratitude Monday: things close around me

For the second time in my life I’ve watched a precipitous American withdrawal from a foreign war followed immediately by swarms of enemy soldiers sweeping over the country in a tsunami of bloodshed. I know that the killings will go on for a long time and my heart is sick.

We let our allies—the people to whom we promised so many things over the past 20 years—down. We abandoned them, and we left behind so much of our own blood, and I just have no words.

So pulling gratitude for today is a little…challenging. I’m going to have to go small, I guess.

I had a week off work—paid time off; that’s a luxury not shared by many of my fellow Americans. In a week of crappy air quality and above-seasonal temperatures, I have working air conditioning in my house and car. My yoga lesson on Friday was absolutely spectacular. I had five takeout dinners; three of them were great. I was reminded again how excellent my dentist and his office team are. 

Also, on my birthday, the Gift Fairy dropped by a bonanza of presents, including this:


Whenever I drink from it, I'll remember that I can do more than I think I can.

Finally, as I return to work, I am proud to be reengaging in defending against cyber criminals and warriors.

So I’m holding on to these things today because they’re what I’ve got to protect me from the unutterable sorrow of Afghanistan.

 

 

 

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