Let Us Give Thanks

Last night I dreamt that I was living and working among Piranha People. They looked like normal humans but would turn on a dime, ferociously hacking away at human flesh and extremities. When I awoke I’d almost forgotten that today is Thanksgiving. When you live and work on a ship the days and weeks blend into one another making it very easy to lose track of what day of the week it is, even if that day happens to be a major holiday. For the homesick, which most of us are much of the time, it can be easier not to celebrate anything at all.

Today however, it was easy to remember that it’s Thanksgiving as it dovetails perfectly with the last day of a particularly grueling 14-day Caribbean run. I immediately gave thanks that some of most demanding, surly, belligerent passengers I’ve ever met will be disembarking the ship tomorrow in Fort Lauderdale. OK, that sounds a tad bitter – and this is not who I am by nature. But it’s difficult to shake off the negative energy that inevitably comes your way when coming into contact with 1200+ people per cruise; and this group was especially difficult.

My mood brightened when I found my mailbox stuffed with Thanksgiving well wishes from my colleagues. Hand-made pop-up turkey cards and notes of loving appreciation from friends onboard. It reminded me how blessed I am, not only for my fabulous family and friends celebrating Thanksgiving at home in the states (who I am missing today), but also for the tribal families formed over the years through our respective travels. Be it with fellow crew on ships, or within the theater community abroad, I have celebrated, rejoiced and made merriment with some of the world’s most excellent humans! Remembering this brings perspective to a challenging couple of weeks. And it’s up to me to protect myself from hurt and negativity—perhaps tonight I will dream of ponies and fluffy white kittens now that the Piranha People have vacated the premises.