Time to Give Thanks

The Christmas season has always been the best time of the year for me.  When I was younger my family always made Christmas a very special time for us.  My father worked an extra job to create memories that we would cherish for the rest of our lives.  Now that I’m older, this season has become a time to give thanks for everything I have.  Retirement has provided extra time to appreciate the things that make this season a time for appreciation and gratitude.  Early dark evenings with light displays everywhere you look and, if you’re in the right area, just enough snow to paint a wonderful holiday scene make this time of year a moment to give thanks for being part of this wonderful world that we live in. 

Now I know some people will say that is all nonsense and question whether I have lost all touch with reality.  But the best thing you can do is to always look at what’s positive and focus on that.  I agree that there is as much negativity as we have ever seen in America.  But, for those of us who lived through anti-war marches and demonstrations for civil rights, we know that even those days were not the worst America has ever seen.  This country went to war with each other in the middle of the 19th century and there are many people who don’t think that disagreement was ever resolved.  We can dwell on those things or focus on something positive and use this season as a time to give thanks.  Like Mr. Scrooge in Christmas Carol, we can alter the way we think and focus on sharing and caring rather than taking and hating.  Life is too short to spend any time being miserable.

The Christmas Season is a wonderful time to give thanks for everything we have.  So is every other day of the year!

There are things you can do to jolt yourself into a positive attitude and that is to be grateful for all that you have and to cherish the memories you’ve made and use them as an inspiration to create new ones.  Be an angel for someone in your life and you’ll see the magic of love and the season we’re in.  It is always a time to give thanks, but the holiday season may be the most appropriate.  Watch a Christmas movie like It’s A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street or a Christmas Carol.  Watch it like you were watching it for the first time and see how good you feel at the end.  Put on some Christmas music and let the words sink in.  Take the time to give thanks for all that you have and recognize that anyone who lives in the United States has a standard of living that should never be taken for granted.  I know that to many persons that sounds like an old man talking and that is definitely true.  I am old.  I’m older than I ever thought I’d be and that’s another reason to be thankful.

This time of year is also good for making resolutions for the year coming up.  For retired people that’s more important than ever because no moment of this time in our life should be wasted.  Make plans for new trips and new places to see.  Start a hobby or learn a language.  Do something new and different and challenging.  Think back to all of those childhood dreams that you had and see if there’s anything there that you still might want to try.  It’s never too late.  Life is as exciting as you make it.  It’s time to make it happen and it’s time to give thanks for all the happy days that are still in front of you.

Every day in retirement should be thought of as a new beginning and a new challenge.  Become a travel guide, a gourmet cook or a golf pro this year!  Why not?  The only one stopping those things from becoming a reality is you!  This is not only a season and time to give thanks but it’s also a time for making wishes and creating a plan to make them come true.  You have a lifetime of wonderful memories so why not get started on making new ones?  Go ahead and make that list of things you want to do and get started as soon as you can.  It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!

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