Thanksgiving

I'm not someone who's really into the meaning behind festivals - Don't get me wrong, I love festivals that give me time off work or that involve gift giving.  But the actual meaning behind a festival has never moved me.

Almost all festivals are tributes to Gods or to historical customs.For instance, Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, Ganesh Chaturthi, the birthday of Lord Ganesha, Onam and other harvest festivals are historically tied to the harvest seasons - originally a way of pleasing the Nature Gods, and I could go on and on..

Thanksgiving also is actually a harvest festival.  A way of thanking the Gods.  But what I've grown to love about it is the very literal way that it is celebrated.  As a day for giving thanks for all the good things and people in your life.

So for the past two years, every Thanksgiving I try to thank the people in my life that I am grateful for.  I don't always do it very gracefully and sometimes I even mess it up (that's fodder for another post) but I do try.

And so this post is for someone who is arguably my closest friend, I'll call her C here.  (She knows who she is.)

We've been friends for 22 years now.  We've shared our lives, our hopes as they bloomed, and helped each other rake out the ashes of those hopes that got cremated.  Those that lived to grow into actual events we celebrated together, often across miles.  She's the first person I call when something unexpected happens, and usually the last person I talk to each night.  She knows and accepts most of the unsavory parts of my personality.  (Probably because she's also the most saintly person I know - someone who has an immense capacity to forgive and accept people's flaws.)  She's been through crap so many times and come out smelling of roses each and every time... so to the best friend a girl could could have - C, thanks for being you and for being such a big part of my life. I know things will morph and change but I know we'll always be able to count on each other.