giving thanks

It's that time of year to give thanks for what you've got. This has been a rough fall for me. Normally, I would smirk at what some would say has become just a tag line to sell more turkey and sweaters, but this year, giving thanks is more important for me. It's a good exercise to realize how fortunate you actually are, in the grand scheme of things.

This website about the Willard Suitcases was the aha! moment that made the thankfulness click for me this year.



Reading the stories of those that were at Willard State Hospital is moving. I've always wondered how I would have ended up if I had been born 100 years earlier - would this have been my fate after raising a stink in public or after a few unfortunate events. The eerie idea of the patients' suitcases left in the attic for years (containing their entire possessions). Most states had/have these institutions and these types of stories. Thankfully, many have returned the possessions or tried to give these people a story. That's what I like about this online exhibit - it gives a voice to those that were silenced years ago.

After reading their stories, especially Madeline's, it made me very thankful for my freedom and the endless opportunities still out there for me.