Last night we watched a DVD of a History Channel show about the Pilgrims -- their persecution by King James I, their flight to Holland, their crossing of the Atlantic on the Mayflower, and their battles with sickness and cruel winter once they arrived in New England. It was really good.
This morning, as I played Scrabble online in my relatively warm house on our own seven acres, with the smell of pumpkin pie baking in the oven and the prospect of a plump turkey breast in the afternoon, I thought about how totally plush our lives are in comparison to thei Pilgrims' at this time of year almost four centuries ago.
I personally have absolutely nothing to complain about, and everything to be thankful for. For starters, Earth is fabulous! Can you think of any other planet you'd want to inhabit? Other good things: I was born to wonderful parents and they lived to be 79 and 84. Music and animals and friends have been a great source of delight and fun all my life. And now I have my own family -- wow, who'da thunk it?
So the economy stinks and the U.S. is mired in Bush mistakes. Obama is about to become president, and while we can't expect miracles, we can once again dare to hope for them.
I've had sorrow in my life, but can having your college roommate steal your boyfriend compare to half the Pilgrim company dying either on their journey or that first winter in Plymouth? I think not.
Good news abounds. The sun is shining, no one has kidnapped my child and I still think it's funny when I can't remember why I walked into the next room. When we look at the big picture, most of us have it pretty damn good.
Photo: That's me at age 5. I seem to have a twinkle in my eye!
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