Giving thanks

A personal journey on the significance of thankfulness

By Lizzie Hoscheit

A common Thanksgiving tradition for families is to sit around the dinner table and say what they’re thankful for.

For some this may be a more difficult task this year than in years past, for 2021 has been another tough year for all of us. Between fighting the waves of the pandemic, wildfires, civil unrest, global warming and the loss of loved ones along the way, we’ve had plenty to worry about. Every step forward has come with two steps back and we’ve continued to find ourselves not sure where to turn.

This difficult time has made a lasting impact on each of us; however we’re still here, moving forward, no matter how unsure the footing is, every day.

While we’re so easily able to recognize and point out all of the bad, something I have been striving to do is try to recognize the good that has come from it.

There’s not a single person who hasn’t faced some struggle these last two years, meaning we’ve all grown, learned how to adapt and never take the small things for granted.

Prior to this, getting groceries used to be a chore and now it’s like a mini-vacation. Life prepandemic was on a fast track with no intention of slowing down. Everything was getting quicker and quicker and suddenly someone hit pause, and no one knew what to do with the newfound free time.

This was something I hadn’t experienced since summer vacations in high school. I’d forgotten what I used to do in my downtime because prior to quarantine, downtime didn’t seem to exist anymore.

Suddenly, I was able to finish that book I had bookmarked months ago, I learned how to crochet (not well but it still counts), I learned new recipes and rode a bike for the first time in years.

I worried constantly but also was able to make new friends. I watched the positive cases rise and now have an extensive collection of masks, but I also was able to go on longer walks and was thankful for every deep breath.

I learned not only about myself, but about the people in my life. I learned that my husband, who I’ve been in a committed relationship with for 11 years, appallingly is not a fan of ice cream. My relationship with my sister grew and became stronger even though we’re on opposite sides of the country. I had time to check in with friends I hadn’t seen since high school, and the chance to flip through all of my old yearbooks and reminisce.

I learned that no matter how many times I try to make queso it’s never as good as at a restaurant, and that cross stitch isn’t for me.

We all had the opportunity to take a step back and look at our lives, to make changes, to better ourselves.

Sure, we all might have gained a little weight, but we rediscovered our love for old hobbies like baking and gardening.

Certain things began to thrive during this time. Drive-in movies made a comeback, puzzles were sold out everywhere, and sweatpants and T-shirts became everyone’s uniform.

We began to see value in things that we’ve been taking for granted, like spending time with grandparents, listening to sounds of nature, driving with the window down and simple social interactions.

I saw how, in a time when we as a community couldn’t feel further from one another as we became separated physically and politically, we were still coming together — from those making masks for the masses to the outpouring of support for locally owned small businesses.

We, as a military community, are already made up of strong and resilient people; however, the past two years tested that strength. And here we are still fighting, still pushing forward, still being there for one another despite our differences, and I’m personally thankful for that.

When you boil it down, we are all just human, simple as that.

All of us at MWR see and honor your courage, and we’re thankful for you. We appreciate your continued trust, support and patience as we have navigated this new territory.

We all have worked tirelessly together to combat the obstacles thrown at us again this year, in the attempt to regain some normalcy — from developing virtual programs to doing everything in our power to keep the CDCs, essential services and recreation facilities open and able to serve as many people as is safe.

There’s a quote by author L.R. Knost that has stuck with me during this time: “Life is amazing, and then it’s awful, and then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and the awful, it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breath in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale through the ordinary. That’s just living heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.”

While these two years have seemed harder than years past, we all must recognize that there is always something to be thankful for. Without these trials and tribulations, we would not be where we are today, which is better, stronger and ready for anything the future has to throw at us.