Thanksgiving

Today we leave town for Thanksgiving with friends in Seattle. I am greatly looking forward to a change of scenery and hanging out with fun and interesting people.  Oh yeah- and the food. Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where if you have to spend it alone, it helps to remember that even though any holiday is better spent with other people, this one really isn’t about being with a crowd.  It’s about being grateful for what you have, whatever it is. Obviously, some people have more to be grateful for than others, but a sincere spirit of gratitude applied to every circumstance makes even that disparity disappear.  It also plays nicely with that difficult child- the idea of ‘enough’.

I have found over the years that keeping a grateful frame of mind is the best balm for a stormy spirit, and there have been many times when my spirit has been less than chipper and gratitude put everything back into perspective for me.  It’s hard to stay worked up about things gone wrong when you’re bearing in mind all the little wonderful elements that make up your life. You could be grateful for people, things, achievements, experiences, even things you don’t think about like your native intelligence or the fact that both your legs meet the ground at the same time, if indeed, your legs do meet the ground at the same time. Fortunately, mine do, and yes, I’m grateful for that.  I especially like to remember to be grateful for all the blessings that I don’t even know about. The behind-the-scenes stuff that works to help me get on with life. I even frequently take a moment to be grateful when I just have a good idea. I’m not lying.

In any case, gratitude is not just for Thanksgiving. It’s nice to have this holiday, but anyone can reap the simple benefits of gratitude at anytime.

Wherever your Thanksgiving holiday takes you, and however you spend it, my sincerest hearty good wishes for peace and plenty.