Gary’s October Gems – The Giving Thanks Issue

October makes her annual entrance like a diva posing in front of a wind machine; her billowing cape of colours cover everything in her path. As the days pass, she becomes smaller, weaker, and tattered. By the time she makes her exit, she is crumpled under the weight of dead wet leaves and Halloween candy wrappers.

In Canada, October’s climatic turn comes in the middle-ish. This year, Thanksgiving, our annual celebration for the cornucopia of our bounty, falls on October 12th. I’ve been thinking a lot about “thank-yous” lately, specifically how reticent we are to express our appreciation to the people who have added so much to the quality of our lives. This was brought home to me recently when a very close friend of mine had a heart attack just days before I am writing this. It was sudden. It was unexpected and it made me feel very, very mortal.

Thankfully, he is doing well and recovering at home. In spite of being in excellent shape with no personal history of heart disease, it happened anyway – just one of those things, one of those crazy things that could happen to any of us at any time.

We all have moments in our lives when we are reminded of how temporary our residence here is. The passing of a relative, a friend, or a pet sets off an alarm that wakes us up from our complacency and reminds us to get busy living. And an integral part of living is to be aware and thankful for all the people in our lives who give our lives so much meaning.

Don’t wait until the end of your third act to tell those you love, that you love them – to show those who have been kind to you that you appreciate them. Stuff your conversations with words of gratitude and when you make your final exit, you’ll be doing so in a blaze of colour –  untainted by regret.

Are there people in your life that you wished you had thanked more?

Are there people you wouldn’t want to pass without having the chance to tell them just how much they matter?

Well, as I was made all too aware, we never know when that opportunity may vanish.

So – Thank you.

Dancing is another great way to thank someone for being a friend – at a safe distance, of course. 🙂