There’s nothing like the Monday after the Thanksgiving weekend to induce the Sunday Scaries. You know about that term, right? It refers to the anxiety that sets in on Sunday when we think about going back to work or school on Monday. It’s not something I experience frequently (I did more a few years ago) but it’s a real thing that impacts many people.

I don’t necessarily have any great advice on how to deal with the Sunday Scaries other than my advice for any difficult feelings: acknowledge how you feel, think about why you might feel that way, and then do your best to let it go. In an effort to do that, and to get some of my tasks for the week out of the way, I went to the nursery yesterday and got wreaths and bows for the house. One big wreath for the side of the house (we’re on a corner and I like to hang a wreath on the side that faces the main road, a wreath for the front door, and a wreath for the side door. We didn’t hang them yet but we did get the Christmas decorations down from the attic and (mostly) got everything set up. Not the tree yet . . . I have the Kitten Scaries when I think about that . . . but everything else is done.

And now it’s Monday morning and it’s time to get ready for work and deal with the tasks that need to be handled. Good thing I like my job even if I would rather be home.

It’s Thanksgiving week here in the US and that means that gratitude and thankfulness are on my mind. To be perfectly honest, it can be a challenge to find those emotions given the current state of affairs . . . the pandemic and unvaccinated people, the acquittal of people who deserve to be convicted, the divisiveness in congress that trickles down to our own communities, the loss of women’s rights and so much more. It’s hard and sometimes what I need to do is take a step away from all of the things going on in the world and remember the good that is in my own small world. And please know that I realize the privilege I have in just being able to take that step back.

All of this is to say that on Saturday I celebrated Friendsgiving with my circle of friends. Kim and Ken came down to stay with us overnight and then we gathered at Sean and Michael’s. We ate fabulous food (I honestly can’t remember the last time I had mashed potatoes and gravy which made it taste all the better) and we told stories and we caught up and we remembered how last year we didn’t get the chance to be together. It was a really special afternoon and evening and I’m not just saying that because there was chocolate cream pie. We talked about all of the problems of the world I alluded to above and agreed that if we were in charge we would fix it all.

I came home with a full belly and a heart overflowing with love and I realized that gratitude is always within my grasp if I truly look for it. I hope you feel the same way.

On Saturday, I got my Pfizer booster. I went to a clinic in a neighboring community and the thing that warmed my heart was seeing so many kids getting vaccinated.

Most of the kids seemed pretty excited to be there but there was definitely some apprehension about the shot itself. There was one child, who was, to put it mildly, pretty distraught. His cries could be heard throughout the entire room and the reaction it had on the kids in line, well, you can imagine. But the waiting parents handled it well, keeping their kids calm and reminding them that everyone reacts differently to shots. I thanked the kids and parents who made eye contact with me, telling them they were doing a great job protecting themselves, their families, and their community.

As for me, my only reaction to the booster was a sore arm. I’m grateful to be boosted as we head into the holiday season and winter.