There is an old Berenstain Bears book called Inside Outside Upside Down. If I recall, it’s a book to teach prepositions or grammar of some sort. Every time I think of this year, that title comes to mind. It really has been inside, outside, and upside-down.

One of the most frustrating things to me is that traditions and habits have been steam-rolled. Just kicked to the curb while the car is going sixty miles per hour, making tomorrow’s holiday a bit of a challenge. But it is a worthwhile challenge, I think, to look out from our swirling-twirling lives and see the things that we can be thankful for.

This year has treated all of us differently. Some have lost family, and some have struggled with illness. Some have lost jobs, and many of us struggle with work/school/life balance, since many of those things are happening at home. No matter what your year has been like, there is still room for gratitude. It isn’t always easy. When things aren’t good, it can color the way we view everything around us. But this week, remember to be thankful. Here are a few of the things I’m thinking of:

For the sun that rises in the morning.
For the people we have around us.
For food on our tables (and toilet paper in our closets).
For the people who get up each day, put on scrubs, and treat the sick.
For those working tirelessly to deliver products and food to our homes, while we manage to eke out new rhythms.
For the neighbor who brings over a meal.
For the technology that allows us to connect, even when we aren’t together.
For the hope that one day in the not-too-distant future, hugs and handshakes won’t feel forbidden.

This week as we prepared for the holiday, we started playing Christmas music, and songs I had forgotten about since last year leapt back to the forefront of my mind. One among them is a long-time favorite, an old Michael W. Smith classic, All is Well. Years ago, before his voice changed, my little brother sang it at church. Besides just the music and words, it brings back childhood memories. To me it is a great reminder of the hope of the holiday season. So let’s remember, every day, and especially this week, to be thankful. This too shall pass and once the dust settles, even if everything is a little inside-outside-upside-down, we will be able to say All is Well.