At the beginning of 2020, I wrote of the sadness and loss of 2019 and my desire to put that darkness behind me in a new, better year. As Robert Burns wrote: “The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men gang aft agley, an’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain, for promis’d joy!” That’s Scottish for “shit happens”, and boy, was he right!

This morning Petunia is shrouded in a blanket of thick, predawn fog. The kind that hangs around for a while, making you feel cold, smothered, and just a bit depressed. The kind that leaves a layer of dew everywhere as thick as raindrops, giving the impression of unending bad weather. Looking out the window, I was struck by the similarity to 2020. For months now many have been closed in by THE COVID. We have been smothered by masks. We have felt the coldness of isolation. We have felt the depression of a world without hugs. We have feared that this seemingly never-ending mess will be our new normal. BUT. IT. WON’T! Like the fog, these constraints will dissipate. We will be free to congregate, sing, laugh, hug, and share. We WILL return to our regularly scheduled lives, and for most of us, this will feel like a really long, bad commercial break in the middle of an otherwise good program!

For my entire life, Thanksgiving has been spent with a HUGE crowd (up to 40) of family and friends sharing lots of food and laughter. As with many of you, this year is totally different. Despite that, I am thankful for so many things, not the least of which is the reminder of the fog. Even now, it is brighter outside, and the blanket is thinning. Very soon the sun will shine through and it will be a beautiful day full of God’s blessings. We just have to hang on, watch, and wait.

Wherever you are, I wish you a beautiful, blessed day. See you on the path!

Talisa

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