My Top Ten Thanksgiving Gratitudes

I am still getting over the fact that another year is coming to a close, but the recent Thanksgiving Day observance confirms that I am not dreaming. I try to plant gratitude seeds every day, but this is the official season for a gratitude post. So, this is my top 10 gratitude list from Thanksgiving Day:

  1. My five senses, so that I could see the beautiful faces of my loves as we gathered together, hear the cacophony of children laughing, football games on the television, silverware colliding with plates as the ravenous group savored the first bites of dinner, and snippets of conversation, touch the warm hands holding mine as I said grace, smell the marriage of the various dishes as they cooked, and speak the pre-feast prayer of gratitude to God for past, present and future blessings.
  2. The crackling sound and dancing flames of the fireplace as they warm our body and soul.
  3. Family and friends, those present, far away, and no longer with us.
  4. The fact that I am surrounded by loved one, and have food to eat, and a warm gathering place in which to enjoy the day.
  5. The present moment and belief that all is as it should be.
  6. The face of my beautiful mother cooking beside me when so many feel the loss of theirs.
  7. Watching the treasured and familiar “It’s A Wonderful Life” which serves as a reminder that we positively affect more lives than we know.
  8. The laughter that ensued as everyone shared their favorite scenes from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase. (If you haven’t seen this hysterical movie, it is a Christmas must-see.)
  9. At the end of the day, the feast put away, not a dirty dish in sight, and I did not have to lift one hand to make it happen.
  10. . After all is said and done, the feeling of accomplishment and love for another successful holiday gathering.

There you have it. My Top 10 gratitude list. What about you? What’s on your “gratitude” list?

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Home

Made by LKW with the Over App

“Home” is a word that means different things to different people. For many of us, the word has positive connotations, but for others it raises anything but happy memories. In general, many of us view “home” as our touchstone, our first base in a fast paced, sometimes confusing world. Home can be the place where you were born or raised, a new or adopted city or country in which you have found a heart connection, or for some, wherever they lie their head. For me, it is more about the people and less a structure. I can be at home wherever there are people that I love. I guess that it is a purely subjective thing.

If we are lucky, home is where we go to find our quiet center, recharge, find solace or protection, relax, decompress, lick our wounds, contemplate, or to just be. The word means so much for so many people, and this is the time of year that it seeps into our heart and mind. Most of us have a home to go to whether it is among family or chosen family, that is, friends.

If you are reading this post, I assume that you have a safe place to call home. However, in this holiday season, it bears remembering that not everyone has a home, friends, or family with which to enjoy safety and seek comfort. If you know anyone who falls into that category, I ask that you consider extending a hand in a manner that is right for you.

There are many ways to help. Perhaps, you can afford to donate money, volunteer your services at a homeless or freeze shelter, take part in an organization that feeds the homeless, or even invite friends or coworkers who are alone for the holidays to celebrate with you. You can extend the feeling of “home” to others.

May your home be filled with peace, love, laughter, joy, gratitude, and happiness. May you be filled with peace, love, laughter, joy, gratitude, and happiness.

Home

Made by LKW with Over App

Love it or hate it, home is the place that holds the pieces of us that we thought long lost. They linger in the walls, crevices, and hidden spaces. They lay waiting to be rediscovered so that we can either let go of what no longer serves us, or embrace them like long lost friends who carries with the secrets long forgotten. Home is where we put all of the pieces of the puzzle together.