This Thanksgiving it would perhaps be easy to focus on challenges rather than the things I’m thankful for.
This year has certainly been full of challenges. It’s been one of those years when no one dares ask what else could go wrong.
I was looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with my family. That is always one of the highlights of the year for me, but like many other families, our family will have to put those celebrations on hold this year.
As I write this column, I’m feeling the aches and exhaustion of COVID-19 and pushing through to get this paper to press.
This weekend I noticed that I didn’t feel quite right. It’s hard to explain, but something just wasn’t right.
Then I noticed that I couldn’t smell anything. I grabbed one of Jamie’s scented candles and didn’t smell a thing. Then I opened a bottle of PineSol, shoved it under my nose, and inhaled deeply. When I didn’t catch any scent at all, I knew that wasn’t a good sign.
We went to get tested, and my son James and I were positive. Jamie’s rapid test said that she was presumed negative, but they warned us that the molecular test would likely come back positive because she was already starting to display symptoms.
They were correct.
Jamie and I were soon feeling pretty bad. The best way I can describe it is like having the flu. We’ve been aching and extremely exhausted. I took a walk around my yard to get some fresh air, and it felt like I had walked for miles.
In the midst of all of that we had to drag ourselves to the office over the weekend and put this paper together. Jamie went to work building ads and I started writing and laying out pages.
Perhaps writing in a daze will turn out to be an improvement for me.
Now that the hard work is over it’s a little depressing to look at a week that was expected to be filled with deer hunting and spending time with family and realize those things are going to be replaced with quarantine and recovery.
Despite that disappointment, this Thanksgiving I realize – perhaps more than ever – that I have so much to be the thankful for:
* I’m thankful for my family’s health. Even though we’re feeling sick right now, we expect to recover just fine.
* I’m thankful to live in such a caring community.
Other than people we’ve been around in the past couple of days and may have exposed before we knew we were sick, we haven’t said much about our illness. We’ve still had many people reach out to us to check on us and see if there was anything they could do to help.
* I’m thankful for my faith.
One of the best things about being a Christian is that when you get some news like a positive test for COVID-19 you already know that you’re going to be OK no matter what happens. If death is the worst thing that can happen, I have already made arrangements.
I’m certainly in no hurry for that to happen, but when it comes I can face it without fear.
* I’m thankful for our team at The Yazoo Herald.
One of the things that’s tough sometimes about this business is that the paper must go to press no matter what. It doesn’t matter if you’re sick or whatever else is going on. The press has to run on time.
We have a great team here that always rises to the challenge. We are small in numbers, but I wouldn’t trade our staff members for anyone.
* I’m thankful for you.
If you’re reading this column, whether in print or online, you’re helping me provide for my family by doing a job that I love very much.
Jamie and I continue to be dedicated to this newspaper, and we are extremely grateful for your continued support during a challenging year.