Season of Gratitude

CPC-Thanksgiving

By Cathy Milton.

First, I have a confession to make. For a while, I’ve been hooked on a game I play on the iPad called “Scramble with Friends”. My opponents – my ‘friends’ – are people I actually don’t know. We came together through a feature called “random opponent” where the game matches up two players of similar skill levels.

I have been playing long enough with some of these people that they do seem like true friends. They are all living in various spots on the east coast of the US (this, I learned, through an in-game chat function).

One American Thanksgiving, one of my ‘Scramble friends’ typed “Happy Season of Gratitude!” into the chat box. It took me a moment to remember that the day was indeed US Thanksgiving, but when I did, and I reflected on that phrase, I replied, “What a lovely way to put it.”

For those of you with American family and friends, you’ll know that our neighbours south of the border, do, in fact, embark on a long holiday season of giving thanks and celebrating, commencing slightly before Thanksgiving and continuing through to New Year’s Day.

The greeting – Happy Season of Gratitude – made me think, “Yes, why not extend thoughts of gratitude for a whole season, instead of just one day?”

With that in mind, I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude and admiration for every CPC member that I’ve had the privilege to meet. Sharon Graham, and the founding members of CPC, have acted as magnets – attracting the most genuinely nice, friendly, interesting, and supportive people. To be in the company of such people is a true gift.

In contrast, I have a friend who is off work for an extended period of time on a stress leave. One of my nieces is also in the same boat. A big factor in both cases is a toxic workplace populated with a few ruthlessly competitive colleagues and non-supportive leadership. In the past, I’ve been there, too, so can empathize with what they’re going through. I vividly recall how truly bad such situations can make you feel.

Now, in the company of the amazing CPC membership, I feel happy, supported, valued, optimistic, and excited about the future. To borrow a phrase from an old advertising campaign…”The benefits of CPC membership…priceless.”

Happy Holidays, good health, and abundant happiness to all in 2016!

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