Dear Friends of Foust Law Office:
Thanksgiving is a very special time of year not because it forces us to sit through a meal with family. The truth is, most of our families have a some problems functioning properly! Most of us do not care to admit that our families look more like the Griswold family from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation than the Cleavers from Leave It to Beaver. Often times, our greatest challenge is loving people who drive us crazy! Try as we might, our families are never perfect. Yes, your uncle who got under your skin last year, will likely get under your skin this year. The side dish you are bringing to dinner will probably not be as perfect as the picture of the recipe you found on line. Life is not perfect and Thanksgiving can be very challenging.
With all of that said, I hope you will join me in reflecting on our imperfect lives with these thoughts:
DO NOT BELIEVE ALL OF THE NEGATIVITY YOU SEE ON TELEVISION: The truth is, we live in the most prosperous time, in the wealthiest nation, the world has ever known. More people live in middle-class conditions or better than not! Despite a few terrible spots on the globe, we live in a more peaceful world now than in any point in history. Our world is not perfect but it is one hell of a lot better than the world anyone before us has ever known.
One of the family values in the Foust house is the requirement that we have a sit-down meal for dinner. We miss the mark about 20% of the time. However, in the other 80% of meals I ask each person at the table to say one thing they are thankful for that day. Sometimes it is as simple as, “I am thankful I go to a good school.” Other times it is something much bigger. I encourage your family to do the same as they go beyond this Thanksgiving.
Gratitude is a choice. So is putting up with the uncle who gets under your skin!
Happy Thanksgiving! May God continue to bless you and your (sometimes) dysfunctional family!