It's Thanksgiving, in this year of 2020 where things are...different...than anyone expected them to be. Instead of being with my large family, I made dinner for just me and my husband (left photo collage). Macy's still held the parade, but no spectators and a bunch of masked volunteer participants (right photo collage).
This post started as a tweet:
Six-words of gratitude, inspired by the @nytimes newsletter (all about my spouse):
He holds me when I cry
Tells me I can do anything
Washes all the dirty dishes daily
Driven by his sense of duty
Sees things through to the finish
Apologizes always, and grows with me.
but then I decided to expand it as I thought more about things I'm grateful for this year.
Here are seven more six-line, six-word-each poems of gratitude (it would have been more poetic to only write six more but I lost count and then didn't want to delete one - better to have more blessings to be thankful for anyways).
-- Baby Bear --
one June day, blue plus sign
gel on my belly, flickering heartbeat
later, visible head, hands and feet
butterflies turn into punches and kicks
yellow paint, a crib, and diapers
next year holds such frightening wonders
-- Mom --
"What grandma name would you want"
when expecting myself, suddenly things change
I see mom with fresh eyes
memories of always tired, rarely angry
now taking my calls with grace
gently, firmly, pointing me towards Christ
-- Discord --
Notification from an app I had ignored
someone called Sophie remembered my name
an online birthday for sweet Jane
suddenly I have many new friends
in this year of weird loneliness
we are united with magical technology
-- Pioneer Girls --
March: the school year abruptly ends
no more church activities this spring
spend summer building new fall plans
return to activities, outside with masks
"I really missed you, Mrs. Brown"
nothing like being loved by kids
-- Andrew --
"can you see how we fit"
she asked anxiously, "yes" I say
and honestly he has melted in
their wedding day seems long ago
my new brother from this year
much celebrated before the pandemic hit
-- Zoom --
maintaining regular monthly tag up dinners
online work meetings are now effortless
enabling coast-to-coast online parties
celebrations of loved ones without airplanes
full of security flaws; for sure,
but in an unusual year, suddenly usual
-- Long Reach --
Long bike paths around ponds and lakes
places to run when gyms closed
gardening advice, puzzles and baby toys
all within Buy Nothing walking distance
when suddenly told to stay put
one realizes this is a nice home
