Happy Thanksgiving from the Land of Oz
Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. This thought prompted me to think about all the things for which I’m so thankful; my wife, family, house, job, and many other blessings. That got me to thinking about Dorothy Gale. You remember Dorothy. Farm girl, in the middle of Kansas, living comfortably with her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry. One summer day she runs away with her dog, Toto, after being served a sheriff's notice to euthanize the dog. It seems there were accusations the dog bit cantankerous townswoman Miss Almira Gulch--although, the story line would lead you to believe this was probably a false accusation, a case of mistaken identity, or she deserved it. Anyway, Dorothy’s journey away from home was only the beginning of a submersion, if you will, into a very long list of reasons why the proverbial grass isn’t always greener on the other side. She hadn’t yet fully learned the meaning of thankfulness.
Dorothy’s journey took her from Kansas to Muchkinland where she meets many kind, caring, and concerned souls, including Glinda the Good Witch, who all want to help her return home to Kansas to be with her Auntie Em, whom she now believes has taken seriously ill. On to Emerald City with friends she meets along the way; Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. They protect her, comfort her, and endure great danger in helping Dorothy arrive at the Palace, where hopefully she will be able to contact the ‘Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz'. It was Glinda that suggested the ‘Wizard’ might have the ability to return her to Kansas and the family for whom she’s so thankful and misses so much. She has a glimmer of hope.
Near the end of the story, we learn the ‘Wizard’ is not who he claims to be and can’t be of any help to Dorothy. It’s at this lowest point we learn that Dorothy has always had to power to go home, but she had some important lessons to learn before that secret could be revealed. She is finally able to return to Kansas by merely clicking her heels together “3 times” and repeating the mantra, “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home….” She's beginning to get it.
Dorothy then wakes up in her bedroom in Kansas with all her family and friends by her side. She’s ecstatic to see them all together, including Auntie Em, and tries to reveal the anxiety she has experienced since leaving. She promises them she will “never again look any further than her own back yard for (her) heart’s desires, because if they’re not there, they didn’t exist to begin with.” She’s finally truly thankful.
What’s all this have to do with Thanksgiving you ask? It occurred to me this week that many of us may be pursuing elusive and empty dreams that will never materialize? Is our focus where it should be? How often have we taken something for granted only to seriously grieve when it’s gone? On a day like Thanksgiving, it is important to think about what people or relationships we hold closest to our hearts, and not be afraid to express our gratitude. Being thankful should be a daily exercise. You know, maybe I’m starting to get it?
And I didn't even need to journey to a Wizard in order to figure it out--or did I? Either way, Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at U.S. Inspect! Always a pleasure talking to you.
