Tonight I am giving thanks for my Aunt and all that she does for my family. I am giving thanks for the freedoms that we have in this country of the United States. I am giving thanks for our general ability to travel, and to travel in a speedy fashion. I am giving thanks to modern communications, and thanks to food that is easily accessible. I am giving thanks for the rights to gather and celebrate our religion.

With all these thanks, I am also praying for my Aunt's peace and patience as she travels across the country to her annual church convention, and deals with an onslaught of delays and problems: A missed connection, an expired (but paid for) hotel room, a cancelled flight, an unavailable rental car, and an uncomfortable sleeping situation inside of an airport. Tired and hungry and exhausted, she will motor on for sure.

This sounds like the "trip from hell" but we also have to be reminded of just how good we have it "most of the time." Perhaps all of this is happening for a reason, and maybe that "reason" is a lonely person in the airport who really needs a good conversation from a fellow frustrated traveler. Maybe all of the delays are preventing her from being part of an even worse disaster? 

For this too shall pass. And may we always attempt to find the bright side of the darkness we feel we are in.