The Grinch meets the Hope Dealer

What happens when the Grinch meets up with the Hope Dealer? It begins to feel a lot like Thanksgiving.

I took a walk around downtown on Monday. It was a bleak November day.

When looking up the definition of bleak, it said cold and barren.

Let’s just say I was feeling both bleak and weary. I was in a funk between what felt like a 32-hour day after we fell back with time and the other thing happening this week. The loud voices and the chaos had gotten to me. Have I told you I hate bickering?

I needed to walk. Taylor Swift may shake it off, but I walk it off.

I got an idea somewhere between North Elementary School and Noble Coffee. My heart needed to begin the Power of Five for November.

I was already several days behind, so I had some catching up to do. Each day in November, I would name five things for which I was thankful.

My five things would not be my usual friends, family, faith, etc. They would be more specific and less typical of my usual Gratitude List.

As I walked by the school, I heard laughter. I thanked God for the children’s giggles and prayed that each child would find the friends they needed. I caught a glimpse of several teachers doing their recess duty and prayed that they would recognize each child’s needs and feel their community’s support. I then named five teachers who had made a difference in my growing-up years: Mr. Purvis, Mrs. Swank, Mrs. Jacobi, Mr. Harber, and Mr. Fleming. They taught me the joy of learning.

Walking by the old Dorman house, I thanked God for old friends who still hug my heart. These are the ones I hung out with at First Ward and North Elementary. I am still friends with Kathy Kreag Williams, Susan Zinn Crandall, Janis Gilkey Dunham, Phil Moore, and Zonica Nosler Brown. A 60-year friendship is a rare treasure. We indeed are friends … ‘til death do we part. By the way, certain houses will always be where someone lived when I was growing up. Did you know the janitor rang the bell at First Ward with an actual rope to announce it was time for school? Yes, I’m THAT old.

Walking by Noble Coffee, I smelled the aroma of beans roasting. I am so thankful for the gift of smell and taste. Coffee, for me, is a cup of pure, caffeinated joy. Delighting in a cup of coffee while chatting with a friend is one of my favorite things. Delight is one of my favorite words. You know how I love words.

Speaking of words. I have a list of words I love. Here are five:

Embrace – a close and long-held hug.

Linger – to be slow in parting.

Bask – to lie in a warm atmosphere.

Ponder – to reflect in a quiet, sober and profound way.

Saunter – to walk in a leisurely manner.

As I write these words, I realize they reflect how my walk became a Gratitude Walk that day. And you know what? It changed my focus. It took me out of my funk.

Before I started home, I stopped at my favorite antique shop, The Annex/Thistle and Thyme. What to my wandering eyes should appear but … THE GRINCH.

I asked for a picture to be taken with him. He obliged. He was such a delight! Talk about perfect timing. You see, I was wearing a sweatshirt that said HOPE DEALER.

This struggling Hope Dealer had met up with The Grinch! A divine appointment!

I was excited to get home and have my fingertips tapping away on my keyboard. You see, I was no longer in a sleep-deprived, anxious about the “you-know-what” state of mind, a.k.a. funk. I had shifted my focus to my Thanksgiving Power of Five.

I wasn’t just naming things I was grateful for; I was feeling them. Gratitude is both the state of my heart as well as my mind.

I will encounter many Grinches who create chaos and muffle the things that bring me joy: laughter, the sweetness of a cup of coffee while chatting with a friend, and sweet words that dance on my laptop as I type. Yes, I dance with words. I embrace words while I ponder and write the thoughts I bring to you, my sweet, faithful readers.

A few well-needed naps and walks have been taken this week. As I finish this column on a beautiful day in my neighborhood, my heart is full of gratitude. It is beginning to look a lot like Thanksgiving, but more importantly … it’s beginning to feel a lot like Thanksgiving.

Finding five things to be grateful for every day is so powerful. They sure fight off those Grinches.

Janet Hart Leonard can be contacted at janethartleonard@gmail.com or followed on Facebook or Instagram (@janethartleonard). Visit janethartleonard.com.