Some Thoughts on Thanksgiving Day

2017 has been a crazy year so far in many ways. It seems like there is a lot of anger and anxiety out there. But when I step back and look at the big picture, I have many things for which to be thankful.

Fortunately I do not know any losers or haters, bloviators or fools. I do know a lot of folks who have intrinsic worth and are making their way through life the best they know how, some more gracefully and successfully than others. I am thankful for folks who agree with this view of humankind because they believe that we are all made in the image of God. I am thankful for those who agree because they believe we are all exquisite, inter-related products of cosmic randomness. And I am thankful for those who agree because they believe some combination of those two.

I am thankful for the folks who build and repair the things I use every day, from the house I live in to the computer network at the office. I am thankful for teachers, farmers, mechanics, bankers, nurses, and the people who make sure I have clean drinking water and electricity at my house. I am thankful for my medical colleagues and my friends who hash through my questions and anxieties with me. I am thankful for people who run homeless shelters and food banks.

I am thankful for my friends in Zambia who have helped me develop an expanded perspective on life and the world. I am even thankful for politicians. Someone has to make decisions about how we live our shared lives. I have met some politicians who I think are principled, ethical, good people. We need more of them.

I am thankful for the life and teachings of Jesus which provide us guidance on how to live; loving neighbors and enemies, seeing the best in those who are different from us, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked. I am thankful for scientific discoveries like those of Robert Guthrie that have made life-changing advances for people I love. I am thankful for books, music, and nature, and a beagle who runs through the woods with me.

I am thankful for Cindy and that we had all three of our children and our soon-to-be daughter-in-law under our roof last night. I am thankful for going to ball games with the boys, hugging Rachel until she is annoyed, and that look that Cindy gives me when I think I have said something clever but she thinks it is stupid. I am thankful for all of my other family members and how they love and support me despite my quirks and "nerdish tendencies."

My hope for the remainder of 2017 is that we can all listen to those with whom we disagree, work for those who are less fortunate than we are, seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly, and each do our part to make the planet we share a better place for everyone.

Life is Hard

I recently had a teenager in the office say to me “Life is hard and I don’t know why I feel this way.” I had two initial reactions. The first was to acknowledge that life can certainly be hard. The second, unspoken one, was that I hear a variation of this far too often from too many young people.

A significant number of adolescents have reasons to feel that life is difficult. Family problems, lack of physical and emotional resources, medical problems, and a host of other issues can make life difficult for young folks. Anyone who thinks every child has an equal opportunity to succeed could be easily disabused of that notion by working in a general pediatric practice.

But there are also some things that I think one can do to help offset the gloom associated with living life. I would put these in my file entitled “Things I Believe but Cannot Prove.”

·         Exercise – My patients probably get tired of hearing this but exercise is good for almost everything, including elevating one’s mood. You do not need to run marathons or play high-level sports but some sort of activity that gets your heart pumping on a regular basis can make a big difference.

·         Spend time with people – If you are feeling down, a surefire way to make it worse is to isolate yourself from other people.

·         Get away from the electronics – I have seen in myself and others that too much time watching TV, playing on some electronic device, or scrolling through social media is a great way to get grumpy.

·         Do not compare yourself to other people – No matter how good you are at something or how handsome you are, you will eventually run into someone better and prettier than you. If your view of yourself is based on how you compare to others, you will eventually, inevitably be let down.

·         Get involved with something bigger than yourself – Be involved in a faith group, work for a good cause, meet with people with similar interests to learn from each other, be part of an athletic team, or do something else that gets you working with others towards a common goal.

·         Spend time outside – Spending time in nature can be therapeutic. If you live in town, find a park to walk in. If there is not a park nearby, observe the plants growing up through the sidewalk and see what the bugs are up to. I enjoy watching stink bugs because they are kind of like tiny dinosaurs (although I have been told that this is weird).

·         Eat real food – Anyone who exists on fast food, snacks, and soda is going to feel bad.

·         Don’t self-medicate with alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs – It may make you feel better temporarily but will make things worse in the long run.

·         Help other people – Looking out for the needs of others is a great way to take the focus off your own problems and helps others in the process.

Clearly some folks have more difficulties than can be solved by eating a good dinner and going for a walk through a park. For those folks, we have other things to offer. But I suspect a lot of people could feel better by trying these suggestions.