Post-Thanksgiving gratitude, and a big 'shouldn't be'

Driving south on I-5 toward my uncle's place for Thanksgiving dinner, for the first time I noticed the magnitude of tent encampments under the freeway as we drove through and beyond downtown. Forrest was driving and we were in his truck, which sits higher than my car.

Discovery Park frost

Whether it was the added height or that I wasn't driving, I was able to notice differently. There were dozens, maybe hundreds... tent after tent stretched out in groups under the raised lanes of the freeway.

I know of this, have read and heard about this, but I haven't seen more than just a scattered few tents before.

This is a shouldn't be... 

How is it in our wealthy country, and in our affluent northwest, we have so many homeless? This isn't unique to our area, but with our usual moderate climate and liberal programs and policies, there are many who choose the northwest over other, less tolerant areas to live their lives outdoors.

Yet, the near freezing temperatures say it's winter. A local charity that helps women and children, Mary's Place, notes there are more than 500 families right now in our area with no place to call home.

Walking through Discovery Park, an old military base converted to a 500-acre park and some high-end view homes, I see an occasional tent tucked among the trees and brush. I cannot fathom how this is possible in today's world.

Sanctioned tent cities, in my neighborhood and throughout the city, give people who live on the street a bit more security along with bathroom facilities and access to drinking water. Yet neighbors complain; I can only surmise they don't want their cozy perceptions of safety shattered. There are shelters and half-way houses everywhere, but still there aren't enough beds.

But my real question is... why? 

Why is this even an issue at this point in time, in this place?   

Do they choose this? Maybe... maybe it's better than what home once was. I know many women are on the street because it's better than anything else they know, because they feel they have no other choice. And mental illness keeps some on the fringes of 'civilized' society.

I believe that to some degree we choose our circumstances. But I think in cases like this, even if this is true, those who live this plight do not understand they have choice. Do not believe that choice can be theirs. There are no visible options. They don't have foresight beyond survival because their circumstances never gave them that. When survival is your focus, the choice you make is what's right in front of you.

No one, 

especially children and families, 

should have no place to go to be 

warm, fed, and cared for. 

I had earlier whined that the food on my holiday table likely wasn't organic nor sustainable. Those individuals - those fellow humans - would be more than happy to have that food. I quickly berated myself and gave thanks for my amazing abundance -- a table full of delicious food, and family to share it with, and leftovers to spare.

My life is far from perfect. My company is reorganizing and many jobs are going away; mine may be eliminated. I have debt. My house is old and inefficient. Really?

Daily, I experience abundance.

Discovery Park blackberry blossoms... in November.
#Hopespringseternal.

I have choices. So many choices. And resources beyond measure. I am not materially wealthy, and yet, I have extended family and friends to share meals with. A life partner who loves me. A warm home to come back to. A cat to snuggle with. A job, for now, that gives me a paycheck in exchange for work. I am healthy and generally happy.

I also understand that I am my own security and I will (almost for certain) always be OK. I can choose. I am lucky to live where I do. I benefit from the legacy of my ancestors and my circumstances.

This isn't true for everyone. Yes, there will always be difference, injustice, and inequity. But does the gap have to be so... gaping?

How do we change this? 

#choice #hope

What matters most

Today I learned a coworker was diagnosed with leukemia. We were in a meeting just over a week ago and he wasn't feeling well, didn't look good, and was having a hard time walking and breathing. I heard that later in the day, our director told him to go to the doctor, where after blood tests, he was immediately admitted to the hospital and is now undergoing aggressive treatment.

Macarons, because they're happy. 
When life sucks, they add 
delicious color and flavor.

A former coworker was recently diagnosed with a rare brain condition that showed up suddenly and increased rapidly. Now, post brain surgery, she continues to experience symptoms, albeit less severe, and this condition will likely be with her for life.

They're both young and vibrant.

These are just two stories.

How does this happen? 

I firmly believe that lifestyle trumps genetics, and so many conditions and diseases are now deemed preventable with different lifestyle choices.

But there is much that seems out of our control. What we (collective) do to the air we breathe... the water we drink, bathe in, swim in, eat from... our food sources, our soils... the resources we use as though they're infinite... we don't yet know the full affect of our actions. Even when we're careful and choose wisely, it's impossible to completely avoid those things that could make us sick, shorten our lives, or in some way negatively impact our quality of life.

Sometimes it feels like a crap shoot.

I was just in Las Vegas for a work-related training and stayed at a hotel / casino far from the strip. The despair I felt there was palpable. This place was by far one of the worst: heavily smoke-filled, with a largely older clientele -- many carrying extra weight, a fair number in wheelchairs or with walkers, and a few toting oxygen tanks, all smoking, drinking and gambling.

Las Vegas, known infamously as 'sin city', was deemed 'addiction city' 
by one of my taxi drivers. 

I had to breathe that nicotine toxin walking through the hotel each day. I could only give thanks this wasn't my daily reality.

And... what if none of it matters? Admittedly, with the latest report of an ill coworker, I at first felt sad and then a bit despairing. It doesn't make sense.


Does anything we do really matter?  


Why exercise, eat well, nurture our relationships, manage our stress, or do any of those other things that may or may not keep us well and living a long, full life?

Does what we believe, think or say actually influence our health, as so many of the new health celebrities spout? I wish I knew for sure.

I still believe we can make a difference, and to a degree, I do believe we control our own destinies. I'm not saying that either of the two mentioned above asked for or in some way created their circumstances, as some of those 'guru'-types might suggest. That would be unspeakably mean. And I'm not saying there's a reason for everything, because I'm not sure that's true.

Fresh air... from an oxygen bar. 

But I do believe there are gifts and opportunities everywhere - if we're willing and able to see them.

I am reminded not to take anything for granted. To be grateful for my current health and well-being. To cherish those I love -- and to tell them -- and to continue to act as if everything counts. I can choose what I do, say, buy, eat -- every day.

My actions... my choices... matter. 

If not for everyone, then at least for those I'm connected to.

Savor life slowly... 

I can make choices that are more likely to contribute to longevity... to good health, a good life, and a positive influence on the world around me. I can choose to be as chemical-free as possible so as to limit my contribution to the toxins others bear. I can choose to limit my use of resources, so to help ensure there's plenty for everyone.

Not everyone cares about this. But I do. What matters most to me is an equitable and just world - for people, plants and animals. Clean air and nutrient-rich soil. Healthy food for all. I may only have a micro piece of it... I am but a spec on the continuum.

And... I can make a difference in my little piece of the world. I don't subscribe to winner takes all, to getting what you can while you can... I think there's enough for all of us.

I have gained a lot of clarity on what matters most to me, and I'm passionately committed to living and working differently, and helping others do so, too. I have long believed that so much of how 'we' live isn't healthy, that there's a better way. And while it may not keep each individual healthy, perhaps we can be happier and more fulfilled while we're here.


What matters most to you?