Thanksgiving

Isnt she adorable? You gotta love a beautiful Barbie - especially one carrying a turkey ! She's the Holiday Hostess Barbie #4 and for a Barbie collector like me, she's one to put on the "indulgence" list.

 

 

But thanksgiving itself....you know, we don't actually have the celebration here in Australia, however I would love it if we did. Taking a moment to be grateful for all that we have can only bring a country, a community, a family, an individual joy in the long run.....

 

I have had a trying year (who hasn't!) with surgery, relationship dramas, children's physical and emotional bumps and bruises, but in August I empowered myself by choosing to find something to celebrate in each day. I began by taking a photograph of the something and posted it on facebook every day for about a month....this in turn moved into more private realms as I noted the little things that bought me joy. May I just say, it altered my brain patterns for the better, and as the conclusion of 2013 draws near I can honestly say I am thinking more lovingly, more freely and more joyfully than back when I started the gratitude journey. I am no longer as weighted down with concerns about what people think of me (ego), as I choose to celebrate the 'me' alive in each moment. Have been reading a lot of Erkhardt Tole, Deepak Chopra and Louise Hay which has also contributed to my new 'present in the moment' living - I highly recommend their works.

 

So, as I sit and ponder what I am grateful for this thanksgiving 2014, I really think my truth is that I am grateful for the spiritual journey of gratitude itself .... it is helping me overcome episodes of 'lowness', making me care for myself better (self compassion is a wonderful thing!) and helping me leave behind the curse of 'wanting' that coloured my life in the past. I have discovered there is so much wonder in this moment, I squander it by chasing more, more, more all the time.

 

My wish for each of you this thanksgiving is that you will discover the magic in the moment you are in - the people in your lives, the food on your table, the creative endeavours you are undertaking, the snuggly-ness of winter or the sunshine of summer wherever you are in the world.....enjoy the moment!

I am thankful....

In the 1950's people had just lived through World War II, preceeded by the years of the great depression - they knew what it ment to be thankful for little things. Though Australia really does not have an official Thanksgiving Celebration, I none the less think it is so important to be greatful for our blessings, so, as it is Thursday November 26 today, here are my musings of thankfulness...

I am thankful for the 'big' things:

Freedom, peace where I live, the abundance of our western life

I am thankful for the 'little' things:

Roses, chocolate, music

I am thankful for beautiful everyday gifts:

The rain that feel on the weekend, the healthy pitter pat of my childrens feet all over the house, having a pantry full of yummy food and a garden full of flowers, my daughters blue blue eyes,

I am thankful for my little world:

Snuggly warm beds on cold nights, for celebrations with those I love, for sunsets by the river or lake, for dewdrops on my arum lillies, for a wonderful country childhood, the smell of roast chicken after a cold winter walk, for home lights welcoming me home when I have been away, for summer evening swims under the river redgums, for fires on the beach under a breathtaking stary sky, for words of encouragement, for birthdays and Christmas mornings and the wonder and delight on my childrens faces.

I am thankful for the relationships in my life:

For the amazing family I was born into, for my grandparents who have blessed my life with so much goodness and have now 'gone on', for little gentle hands and smiles and giggles and spice, for the love of a wonderful man, for the love and blessing of God - despite 'me'.

Thankyou God for all the wonder, romance, beauty and goodness that has been and is now in my life. I give you all the gratitude held in my heart.

There are so many things I could add to this list - it would be miles long if I went through everything, but these are the things that first spring to my mind......may we never forget in everyday, to be greatful for all that we have!