Every Day Above Ground is a Good Day

'Tis the season to be grateful. This year, it isn't easy. It seems as if the forces of nature are aligned against us: the forests ignite, the virus consumes, the hurricanes level the landscape. In some places, it's already beginning to snow. Couple that with financial uncertainty and a presidential race that has sharply divided our nation into "us" and "them," we have the makings of a season not of gratitude but of existential dread.

So many of us come to the table with less than we had last year. Along with lost livelihoods, or worse, lost loved ones, we can lose our bearings, our sense of purpose, our faith in the future and ourselves. We've had hard times before, but not like this. This is one they'll put in the history books.

"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." --Thomas Paine

It's been said that the phrase, "May you live in interesting times," is a curse. When we're young, we can't understand how this could be. Boredom is unbearable. We crave excitement. As we age, it begins to make sense. After suffering accidents, misfortunes, and intentional harm, we welcome a dull day, a dull year even. This year, however, has been anything but.

Screenwriting guru Syd Field used to tell his students, "All drama is conflict." But, oddly enough, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that inaction can cause conflict as well, especially when the drama is in our heads. Should we risk getting our teeth cleaned? Is it safe to go into the office? What if our elderly parent dies this winter? Is it wrong to deprive them of a last Thanksgiving with the family? We're damned if we do and damned if we don't. It sucks to be us.

Like all living organisms, we humans strive to survive. We avoid pain, be it physical or psychological, and do whatever we can to stay alive. Survival is, in essence, the most basic measure of our success as life forms. As incredible as it seems, the fact that we're still drawing breath is cause for celebration. We're still in the game. As of this writing, 1.4 million of our fellow humans are not due to a disease that didn't exist a year ago.

"For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion." - Ecclesiastes 9:4

Gratitude is trending, as it does every year around Thanksgiving, but it's especially important this year. In an article on the subject, Psychology Today states that "People who are grateful feel less pain, less stress, suffer insomnia less, have stronger immune systems, experience healthier relationships, and do better academically and professionally." In other words, it's good for what ails us.

If you're depressed about your situation and the state of the world at large, know this: you are not alone. Whatever you're going through, there are people whose troubles make yours pale in comparison. That's not to say you should take comfort in the fact that others have it worse than you do. But do take comfort in what we all share, no matter our situation; we live. As long as we're living, we can hope for better days ahead.

Bad times build like ocean waves; they peak and then recede. Right now, our most important job is to keep our heads above water so we can ride this tsunami into shore. Yes, by all reckoning, things are about to get worse, maybe much worse, but it won't last. If we can hang in there, we can get to work building a better tomorrow together when the time comes.

When the pandemic is under control, when we once again join hands around the table, our shared experience will be a foundation upon which we can build new relationships and strengthen old ones. With a little luck, and a lot of effort, political divisions can be breached and wounds can heal. When we're all just grateful to be alive, petty complaints and differences can be put back into perspective. If we take the attitude that every day above ground is a good day, then as long as we're living, everything's going to be okay.