Expat Life: Looking For the Good During Difficult Times

Note ~  We’ve extended our family visit in the U.S. to help with our grandchildren’s remote learning. The current plan is to begin 2021 back home in Ecuador. Thank you for continuing to follow our expat adventures!

Cynthia:  So much has changed since this time last year when we had a big Thanksgiving celebration in the Yunguilla Valley outside Cuenca. At least 18 friends were there!

Edd:  Yep. Tons of food and “adult beverages.” Catching up by the pool. A fun day. Although gatherings will be smaller, I’m sure expats will still get together and continue holiday traditions if they aren’t with family.

C:  And now here we are in North Carolina planning a quiet family Thanksgiving dinner.

E:  With two young grandchildren I wouldn’t call it “quiet!”

C:  Ha! I stand corrected. You know, 2020 is a year many of us will always remember but would like to forget.

E:  I’ll say. There’s definitely been a surplus of negativity and overall weirdness. The words “social distancing” had never been uttered before February, and now the term is as common as “mashed potatoes.”

C:  It’s easy to get caught up in everything that’s wrong and what’s being called “COVID fatigue.” Studies showing increased levels of depression, drug and alcohol use, and domestic violence are a reflection of the stress taking a toll on everyone.

E:  That’s where you can find yourself when your mood, emotions, and attitude are based on constantly changing outside events and circumstances. Over the years we’ve learned to embrace the idea that true happiness comes from within.

C:  Exactly. It feels like life is happening to you, right? In reality there’s nothing personal about it. Life is just showing up each day for all of us.

E:  And the personal part is that you get to choose your response to what’s presented to you moment by moment.

C:  Or just blindly react and not choose, which is also a choice.

E:  Right. Looking for the “good,” even in situations that seem anything but has served us well.

C:  Like when our backs were against the wall in 2008. Life was caving in all around us, and the easy path would have been to give up. Instead we objectively examined our options, and picked the one with the best chance of success.

E:  Which is exactly how we ended up in Ecuador.

C:  Now, with COVID-19 spiking again and what seems like nothing but bad news in the media, we’re instead focusing on what for us is a special blessing.

E:  Yep. Being in the States for the rest of the year has given us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend so much quality time with our precious grandchildren. Under ordinary circumstances this kind of visit would have probably not happened.

C:  Obviously, the theme of this holiday week is to reflect on what you’re thankful for in your life. In that spirit we had fun creating a Thanksgiving Gratitude Tree with our family.

E:  To keep that “attitude of gratitude” front and center going forward, we encourage you to take a few moments every day to examine your thoughts. After all, what you think about all day long becomes your life experience. So instead of looking for what’s wrong, you do have the choice to look for the good in everything.

C:  And you may be surprised to find it everywhere. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!