Giving Thanks

This post by Gayle M. Irwin

I walked outside from the Central Wyoming Rescue Mission’s administrative offices, having just conducted an interview with the mission’s director for an upcoming story. Though the sun shone brightly, the temperature chilled a person to the bone, hovering around 12 degrees F. Snow still lay on the ground from a system that swept through a few days earlier. As my car’s engine revved then steadied to take me home, I thought of those whom the Rescue Mission serves, the men, women, and children without a home of their own, many even without a car, and certainly at times without hope.

Wyoming’s homeless population is one of the highest, if not the highest, in the nation. According to federal figures, my state’s homeless numbers increased a dramatic, and frightening, 252 percent in three years (2009 – 2012). Casper’s Rescue Mission serves nearly 850 people every year and serves more than 36,000 meals. The number of women and children who need these services has also increased, especially in Casper, where rent rates are equivalent to a big city such as Denver, yet many single moms make $10 an hour or less. Our Central Wyoming Rescue Mission is and has been filled to capacity in its women’s shelter; soon a partnership between the Mission, another agency, and the City will take shape in order to create another facility for single-mom families, addressing that overwhelming need: serving working poor women and their children.

Upon arriving home, to a house with central heat and food in the fridge and on the shelves, and prior to writing stories for which I’ll be paid, I thought of all that I have to be thankful for. With Thanksgiving just a few days away and my mind and body in overdrive like the Energizer Bunny, I took some down time to quiet my mind and spirit to reflect upon what I had learned at the Mission and, in response, to reflect upon what I have to be thankful for:

1. My family – I have a dedicated husband and caring parents (I’m an only child, in case you think I’d mad at siblings!) and I am grateful for a loving, close family.
2. A home and the modern conveniences therein – I don’t have to wash clothes in or haul water from the nearest river and heat in this wintry cold is just a crank of the thermostat away.
3. Great friends – near and far, old and new, virtual and present.
4. Special pets – past and present, they give me comfort when I’m sick or sad, and offer great companionship and inspiration in my life.
5. Work – to pay bills and help my community.
6. Writing and Speaking Endeavors – to impact lives and share my passion.
7. Health – though I’m more than a half-century old, my health is pretty decent; the aches and pains of aging are NOTHING compared to those dealing with cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and other dramatic diseases.
8. Mountain property and cabin – a sanctuary just 20 minutes from my house, at which I’ve gotten many story and book ideas and the opportunity to write them.
9. Ability and Opportunity to Volunteer — to make a difference in the lives of pets and people.
10. God – His grace and mercy have bestowed all the above and more, and my eternal future lies with Him.

These are just a few things for which I’m thankful. I am blessed beyond measure even though I don’t have much in my bank account or retirement fund and I haven’t written a New York Times bestseller. Despite the fact I’ve felt like a dog chasing its tail the past several months, I have work that brings home enough to pay bills. I’ve taken time nearly every day this month to give thanks, especially for the small things that I’ve taken for granted far too long. Visiting the director of the Central Wyoming Rescue Mission was a wake-up call, not only to the suffering and strife in my community as well as in this country, but to my own selfishness and ungrateful heart.

My dining table will be filled with delicious food on Thursday. The kitchen cupboards are full, the fridge and freezer are stocked to the max, and soon my family’s bellies will be bursting. Yet, there are numerous people in this country and around the world with little to nothing to eat, no warm shelter, and no caring family to surround them. In addition to my own blessings, I am thankful to and for the people such as at the Rescue Mission who help those in need. I am only one person, but I live in a community, in a nation, and together, we can help those who struggle. Food, a gently used coat, warm gloves, and a few toys for the children will be some of my contributions this year. I am blessed, and I want to share blessing with others who don’t have.

This Thanksgiving, as I join my mother who has a new knee (and continues to improve each day), my father who is planning a family trip next September when he’ll be 78 years old, my hard-working husband who encourages me along my writing path, and my pets who brighten my life (and yes, they will get a nibble of turkey!), my heart is overflowing with awareness and gratitude.

I hope you all have many things for which to give thanks and that you and your family enjoyed the most joyous, blessed Thanksgiving ever!

Gayle M. Irwin is the author of several inspiring dog books for children and adults, including Sage’s Big Adventure and Walking in Trust: Lessons Learned with My Blind Dog. Her newest work is a Kindle and paperback as well as an email project titled Devotions for Dog Lovers: Paws-ing for Time with God. She weaves positive life lessons into her writing to encourage readers. She is also a contributing writer to editions of Chicken Soup for the Soul and to articles in Creation Illustrated magazine. Learn more at www.gaylemirwin.com. She will be sharing Thanksgiving with her parents, husband, and pets, giving thanks to God for all her blessings, including her blind dog Sage, gone now for more than a year, but who still lives in her heart and in the pages of her books.