88 Reasons to be Grateful

It's that time of year when people on your various social media friends list start sharing "one-a-day-what-I'm-grateful-for" posts. That in itself isn't really a problem. After all, what's not to love about being grateful? We should all be grateful--with hopes you can come up with 30 different things for the daily post......

....Problem? I'll tell what I find to be the problem with it. Why on Earth do we need a month's worth of social media posts exclaiming gratitude? Why are we not grateful every day of our short tenure on Earth? If you've been whining and ungrateful for the remainder of the year, does 30 days hath November make up for it?

What if we as a collective whole posted gratitude-related-this-or-that EVERY day? The world would most likely be a much different place. Ah well, I guess 30 days a year is better than no days..... and, am I not being ungrateful for people being grateful in November? Hmmm. I think I'll reflect on that.

Personally, I have 88 reasons to be grateful. Yes, eighty-eight. Not eighty-seven. Not eighty-nine. I have 88 reasons.

I was coming home from a business trip when the weather went wrong. I could see the whole thing unfolding before me. I was at a baby airport, waiting for a baby plane. As a rather-seasoned traveler, I am not fooled by a departure board that shows a flight is on time or even on its way. A gander at my weather app showed that the place of which I was connecting was being battered by storms. I knew there was no way I was going to make my connecting flight.

Delayed flights due to weather are a reality.... that's not putting negative thoughts out...it just is what it is. I can't control the weather. The flight crew can't control the weather. The airport can't control the weather. All I can ask for is honesty. All I can have is patience.

Resigned, I tried to come up with alternatives, even calling the company explaining my pending dilemma. No one wants to get stuck at a baby airport or to circle in storms or get stuck after missing the connecting flight. I thought about driving 12 hours home in a rental car. I thought about getting a hotel and trying again the next day. The company travel rep told me all my flights were on time, adding if I missed my flight, there were two more I could take. (Thanks for nothing, asswipe. I already knew all that. I was looking to avoid that.)

My baby plane arrived, about 30 minutes late. I thought that was pretty good, considering the weather of where the plane came from. I would still make my connecting flight. We got on the baby plane, pulled away from the gate... and stopped. The pilot announced that we would have to stay put until we could get in line for the landing pattern--probably about 55 minutes. Oh dear, no catching the connecting flight for me. I didn't get upset. I just sighed. After all, there was nothing I could do but sit back and listen to music.

Once my baby plane took off, we basically spent the flight going in circles. Thankfully, I take Dramamine. I don't know how others weren't spewing their guts out. We landed, no worse for the wear except for nausea. The flight attendants looked defeated but they did their best to smile and say "thank you" as required.

Thankfully, my connecting flight was also delayed due to the weather. I have never been so glad to have a delay. I heard that it would be at least another hour before we could board the plane, let alone take to the skies. I hadn't eaten lunch or dinner, so this gave me time to eat. Of course, everything was gluten-tainted.... but, at this point, gluten was the least of my problems. Gluten I did eat. Gluten I did gladly eat. By the time I was done shoveling gluten, we were invited to board the plane. The flight crew looked like they had been beaten up. People were grumbling, the mood was crabby.....

That's when the 88 reasons to be grateful showed up. I had a middle seat, of which I was not happy but it was near the front of the plane, so I had purposefully picked it, with thoughts I could jump off the plane and run to the last bus of the day and with intention of speaking to no one. I do not speak to people when I fly. I put in my headphones and call it a day. I just don't have the interest, energy. I want to do work, daydream, nap, watch a movie, listen to music, meditate on the meaning of life. There was a 35 or 40-something businessman in the aisle seat leaning over my assigned seat, seemingly trying to help the 70 year old female in the window seat. They were laughing and it was obvious this lady had no clue about how to do whatever she was trying to do on her smartphone. I politely interrupted them....

....and, joined the fun.

The lady started yipping immediately. The guy was laughing. I couldn't help but laugh, either. Soon, I was talking to both of them, the three of us like best friends on an adventure, still happy despite anything thrown in front of us. I was very confused by my behavior, as I honestly don't engage other passengers. Yet, here I was and I was having a great time. Since we were delayed on the ground (of course we were), we spent a lot of time laughing--loudly. So loudly that I am surprised we didn't get kicked off the plane or told to shut up. Everyone was crabby and sour-faced and angry.... and, we're laughing. We didn't stop. We couldn't stop. Everything was light-hearted, refreshingly humorous. Maybe we were delirious from such a long day of travel. Maybe they were drunk and I was sitting between them, unknowing of their indulgence....

.....or, maybe I was sitting EXACTLY where I was supposed to be sitting. 

Our conversations covered everything from cell phones to why we were headed to Chicago. We talked about passwords and how to remember them, why she loves Sudoku, what movie he was trying to watch on his cellphone. She talked about various losses and stressors, all the while in the most grateful, upbeat, heart-felt manner. Sharing about the loss of her husband within the past year and having to give up her rescue dog intertwined with silly, sophomoric banter. We laughed about laughing. We were late. We were tired. She was sad but so grateful, so full of life--the sadness was easily expressed and then life went on. That's when I shrugged my shoulders and said, "It is what it is. We might as well enjoy it."

She answered, "We are exactly where we are supposed to be. We were meant to sit together!" Mr. Business Man and I couldn't agree more. I didn't work. I didn't listen to music. I didn't sleep. I wasn't angry about being late or worried about being tossed around in bad weather. I was in the moment with these two strangers, laughing. It was so foreign to me. All I could think was, "Who IS this person I am right now?" I don't think I've ever had a more enjoyable flight. Despite all the obstacles, we enjoyed the trip.

So, what's with the 88 reasons to be grateful? Sometime during the conversation, the lady mentioned she was 88 years old. I gasped. No kidding, I gasped aloud. There was NO WAY this lady was 88 years old. Maybe it was her young spirit. Maybe it was her good health. Maybe it was her youthful look. I expressed my profound surprise. I kept saying, "88? You are not 88 years old!" She offered to show me her driver's license. I politely declined. We talked about what keeps her young. What keeps her alive. What keeps her grateful.

Eighty-eight years old. She graciously, unknowingly gave me 88 reasons to be grateful. We parted ways, still laughing, knowing we would never see each other again. Just like it was supposed to be.

I don't even know their names. It didn't matter. It still doesn't.

Who needs November social media reason to spew gratitude when you can see 88 reasons to be grateful sitting next to you on a plane? I embrace those 88 reasons. So, no. I won't post about gratitude daily in November. I have 88 reasons to keep in mind, spirit, heart.

Life lessons and gifts from the Universe pop up in strange places, wrapped as very unusual packages, thankfully with very loud laughter. Sometimes, we show up right where we supposed to show up. And, for that, I am grateful.