Thankfulness

It’s time once again for the holiday that goes by too quickly and is almost unnoticed - Thanksgiving. It is a great holiday though since it encourages us to try to understand what being thankful is all about. I just went through all my Thanksgiving blog posts for the past 7 years, and I realize that I still don’t understand true thankfulness. I don’t think that I have ever been in such need that I felt the overwhelming gratitude that someone feels when they are rescued from poverty or a calamity. I’m not saying that I want to be rescued like this so that I can understand it though - sometimes we get what we ask for! We each have different paths to hike in our lives, and for some reason mine has been relatively easy - or at least that’s the way it seems. I have had very strong optimism for my whole life. Part of that comes from being raised in a mostly stress-free way without a lot of need, but it also comes from my childhood when I had an experience that I have written about before where I almost drowned and somehow gained an understanding that this life is not all there is. As such I’ve never really feared life or dying. That has been a blessing, but it also removes the impetus to push hard when difficult times come. I think that everything happens for a reason, but I’m not sure what this experience meant for me. As it relates to thankfulness, it makes me feel part of something bigger which gives me wisdom that thankfulness is at the core of our existence. Feeling thankful has been a learning lesson for me though. I’ve had to learn to say “Thank you!” and “You’re welcome!” as a reflexive thing even when I don’t have the emotion of thankfulness. I’m not saying I never feel thankfulness, but sometimes I’m deep in thought and have to break out of it to be in the moment and show my gratitude. I’m kind of like the kid who has to be reminded by his mother to say “Thank you!” when he or she receives a gift. But I keep trying to be in the moment and show my thankfulness. Now you won’t believe me when I say “Thank you” for reading my musings and listening to my music and for being part of my life. I really do mean it. I don’t say it enough, but I do understand how much the giving and interaction of every person in my life has blessed me and buoyed me up. I try to do the same for everyone I meet. How about you? Do you say it often and understand thankfulness in your life?

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What have I been up to?

I had 14 senior facilities last week, and I played thankful songs and Thanksgiving songs for them all. It’s a good purpose to encourage the folks with these kinds of songs. Everyone needs it in their lives.

My Wednesday online show was songs about dancing, and it was so much fun! I was dancing as I was playing, and I know that many in the audience were doing the same!

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and there were some songs I haven’t played in a long time as well as a new Kris Kristofferson song. I really got into it although for some reason I was struggling with getting the words right on many of the songs. Oh well! Just an off night, I guess. We still had a good, if goofy, time.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 7 senior facilities this week. 2 have cancelled with either Covid or not enough folks coming in to an adult daycare facility to justify my coming. I will do some more thankful songs and Thanksgiving songs to help celebrate the holiday.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be thankful songs. This is a fun group of songs to do with such good spirit. I really look forward to it, and I hope you’ll join me if thankful songs sound like something you’d like to hear this week.

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and I have another new song to learn that was requested to do as well as starting to get into the winter and holiday spirit. Come on out!

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That’s it for this week. Once again I need to mention that I will be doing a special Christmas show with Don Richmond sitting in at Society Hall in Alamosa on December 12th at 7:00 pm. You can find more about it on their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/share/1AxX92v7Nb/

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and I hope you are healthy and happy.

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of thankful songs

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Wednesday, November 26, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of favorites and requests 

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Sunday, November 30, 7-8:45 pm mountain time